


Finding Heart

by TiffanyF



Category: The Avengers (2012), Torchwood
Genre: AU, M/M, ooc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-06
Updated: 2013-06-11
Packaged: 2017-12-10 13:20:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 26,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/786474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TiffanyF/pseuds/TiffanyF
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack Harkness first met Tony Stark when Tony was a child and they became friends. After the battle for New York, JARVIS takes it upon himself to call Jack to help Tony recover. Then the Doctor gets involved and things get interesting. Don't own, don't claim, no money is made here.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Stark Tower became Avenger Tower. Tony wasn't sure how it happened, but he had the whole team living with him. It was loud. It was crazy. It was, kinda perfect, really. They helped with the rebuild and all the chatter during the day was enough to block the memories from Tony's mind. No one seemed to notice that Pepper was around less and less, thinking that it was just business that kept her away, and didn't question it. The nights were the worst. Tony hid in his lab, trying to work himself into a state where he would be able to collapse and not dream. He tinkered with the suit, fixed problems he'd found during the battle, made weapons for the rest of the team, ignored Fury whenever he asked for anything dangerous, and tried to survive with wars being fought behind his eyes.

He wasn't sure how no one noticed the problems. He didn't know what was in the file Fury would have given everyone, he'd seen his private folder when he hacked SHIELD's database, but figured there was no way that Fury, the spy of all spies, would have given anyone that folder. The man loved secrets too much to share everything he knew in one go. Dribbles and drabbles were probably all the team would have seen, Natasha more than anyone else, Steve probably the second most. Tony had told Bruce a little about what happened to him, why he had the arc reactor in his chest, but Bruce never pushed for personal information. It was one reason Tony was so fond of him.

He just wished someone could see that he was falling apart and had no idea how to fix the problem.

The whole team was in the common area with pizza boxes spread out on several tables and about to watch a movie - something about trying to catch Steve up on popular culture - when JARVIS broke into the conversation. "Sir, the Captain is here."

"Let him in," Tony replied, suddenly delighted. He ignored the looks of confusion on the others' faces and turned towards the lifts.

"I'm right here," Steve muttered. "What's going on?"

"I don't know," Bruce replied. "But look at Tony. He's excited about something, and it's not something that has to do with you. Besides, JARVIS said 'the Captain' like there was only one person who gets to use that title. Tony usually calls you 'Cap' doesn't he?"

"Yeah, he does," Steve said. "I never really thought about it before but he does. I thought it was just him giving me a nickname, like he does everyone and everything else."

The lift opened before Bruce could reply and they watched, along with the rest of the team, as Tony almost literally threw himself into the arms of a tall dark-haired man wearing what Steve quickly recognized as a World War Two era coat. 

"You planning to introduce us, Stark?" Barton asked from his perch on the back of one of the sofas.

The pair by the lifts was talking softly, no one could hear them, but the stranger looked serious. He rubbed Tony's back and wrapped him more firmly in a hug before looking up. "Captain Jack Harkness," he said with a smile that screamed flirt. "Nice to meet you all. I'm going to steal Tony for the night, don't wait up."

"Okay, well, that was strange," Barton said. "Nat?"

"No clue, I've never heard of the man before," she said.

"I've never seen Tony act like that before," Steve commented, sinking down on the sofa that faced the TV square on. "I was starting to think he didn't have emotions."

"He's a flirt, he cares only for himself, what more do you need to know?" Natasha asked.

"That's not true," Barton pointed out. "You're being too hard on him again, Nat. The man almost died saving New York. What more do you want?"

"Humility."

"He wouldn't be Tony Stark if he did that, Nat," Barton pointed out. "You gotta give the man a break."

Natalia huffed. "You're not still going on about that, are you?"

"About what?" Steve asked.

"Tony's hurting," Barton said. "I've been trying to find a time to talk to him, but he's always working on something and doesn't seem to see the world around him when he's in his lab. I wonder if that's the reason Harkness is here, to help Tony with whatever it is that's bothering him."

"I'll tell you this much, Tony didn't ask for his help," Natasha said. "He was surprised when JARVIS announced the man."

"I just hope whatever is going on, Harkness is able to fix it," Barton sighed.


	2. Chapter 2

Jack was surprised when he received the phone call from JARVIS requesting his help. He'd met Tony Stark years ago when he was a kid trying to understand his place in the world and had no one to talk to. Jack found an almost instant connection with the eight-year-old and promised that he would always be there when Tony needed him for anything. He'd shown back up when Tony was at boarding school, at university, when his parents were killed, after Tony was almost killed, and when he was dying from the poison the arc reactor was spreading through his body. Jack tried to help any way he could, but most of the time he was a sounding board for Tony, someone to talk to who understood what it was to not know where he was supposed to be, what he was supposed to be doing. When Jack heard about the battle in New York he knew that, technically, UNIT and Torchwood should have been handling the clean-up, but UNIT was busy with another problem and Torchwood, well, what Torchwood? Jack was the only one left and hadn't had the heart to rebuild his team. He'd wanted to leave the planet after losing Ianto, but couldn't do that to Tony. 

He used his repaired vortex manipulator to hop to New York as soon as he was off the phone with JARVIS and strolled out of an alley near Stark Tower. Jack had been in a lot of battles in his life and could see how the city was still being repaired. He touched the pad at the door of the tower. "Hey JARVIS, it's me."

"Good of you to come, Sir," JARVIS replied, opening the door. "I've let Mr. Stark know that you're here and he's asked you to come straight up."

"How's he holding up, JARVIS?" Jack asked as the lift doors closed behind him.

"He is remarkably talented at hiding his feelings and emotions from those around him," JARVIS replied. "You know this, Sir, although I believe that Agent Clint Barton, also known as Hawkeye, has noticed that Mr. Stark is in pain."

"Let me get Tony through the night and we'll see what I make of this team of his," Jack said. He stepped out of the lift and almost immediately had an armful of Tony. "Hey Tony," he whispered. "JARVIS called, said you needed me. Why didn't you call?"

"I've been so busy, trying not to think, trying to work and forget that I didn't even think about it," Tony admitted in a whisper. "I'm so glad you're here, Jack. I need to talk. I need to forget."

"You need to sleep," Jack said. "Want me to hold you for the night?"

"Would you?" Tony asked. "I, Pepper left when she found out about my problem. I still haven't worked out a way to fix it."

"I'll stay as long as you need me to," Jack whispered, tightening his grip. He looked up when one of the team asked about introductions. "Captain Jack Harkness," he said with his brightest smile in place. "Nice to meet you all, I'm going to steal Tony for the night. Don't wait up."

Tony snickered as he was pulled into the lift. "They think you're taking me away for a night of hot sex or something, well, probably not Steve. He's still stuck back in the 40s and doesn't realize that a lot of things have changed," he said. He pushed the button for his floor and leaned against the wall. "How much do you know?"

"I've seen the footage, I didn't know I'd rubbed off on you so much, kiddo," Jack said running his fingers through Tony's hair. "You were willing to die to save the planet, that's something to be proud of. All the people you saved."

"What about the ones who died because of the battle?" Tony asked. "I look back at everything that's happened since I built the first suit and I wonder how much of it is my fault. If I hadn't set up the tower with the arc reactor then Loki wouldn't have been able to hook up his machine and open the portal to let the army through."

"Your dad meant for the arc reactor to help humans, Tony, and you've managed to do that with your ideas for clean energy," Jack said. "You've stopped making weapons, I'm so proud of you for that one, and you're moving forward." He followed the younger man out into the living area of his floor. "You can't question yourself like this, Tony. It just leads to nightmares and I'm guessing you're already having those because you haven't slept in days, have you?"

"No," Tony admitted. He sank down on the sofa and rubbed his face. "I never went through any counseling for what happened to me, you know. I talked to you about it and thought that we'd managed to work through everything. I still don't like swimming, don't think I'll ever do that again, but it's no great loss. I was doing better, I was moving forward and making the suit better and better."

Jack sat down next to him and pulled him in close. "Then you started getting sick," he said softly. "You tried to tell your friends every way you could, but they didn't listen."

"You did."

"Because I've been there," Jack said. "I know what it's like to be dying slowly by inches, Tony, and having no one around to help you. I'll admit I was worried about you after that one, after that second huge battle you had to take on, but you looked like you were doing okay and were on top of the world. Maybe I should have stayed and talked a little more."

"Why didn't you?"

"Fury warned me off, but if it hadn't been for my team needing me I would have told Fury to stuff it and stayed with you as long as you needed me to," Jack said. "I lost Ianto on that mission."

"Oh Jack, I didn't know you'd lost him," Tony said. "How are you holding up?"

"Most days are good, some are lousy, but that's true for anyone who loses a loved one," Jack said. He pressed a soft kiss to Tony's head. "I've shut Torchwood down, Tony, so you've got me for as long as you need me. Tell me what happened with Pepper. I thought that the two of you were doing good."

"We were," Tony sighed. "But then I found out that she wants a normal relationship, she wants sex and she wants kids. You know that kids are the deal-breaker for me anyway, no one knows about that blood transfusion we did so it's not like I'm going anywhere any time soon, but sex. I miss sex. I want to, but I can't because of this thing." He tapped the arc reactor with his fingers. "I sit Pepper down and explain everything to her and do you know what the first thing she says to me is? If sex is too stressful for the arc reactor, why can you still fight? She wants to know why I can still go out in the suit and fight, but I can't screw her."

"Hey, hey, easy now," Jack said softly, pulling Tony into a hug. "She doesn't know about the extra support systems in the suit, does she?"

"No one does," Tony said. "I could just imagine what would happen if I tried it with her. Die on top of her and come back to life, then I'd really be a freak. I don't know how she hasn't noticed I'm not aging anymore, maybe she thinks it's cosmetic surgery or something. I don't know. So she walks, already not happy at me asking the team to live here where they can hide and be safe, and I'm suddenly on my own even with others around."

"Isn't there anyone on the team you feel close enough to talk to?"

"Bruce, but he's got enough of his own demons, I can't just dump all of this on him," Tony said.

Jack nodded and shifted them a little so the arc reactor was in a better position and covered them both with his coat. "JARVIS told me that he thinks that Barton has noticed something," he said. "Do you think that's possible?"

"Hawkeye? Maybe. He and I really clicked at the battle, and he's got a sense of humor to match mine," Tony said. He let his eyes close. "I don't know what he might have noticed though."

"Tell you what, you sleep and we'll deal with more of this in the morning," Jack said. "How's that sound?"

"Good," Tony muttered, curling up a little more. Jack always put off a lot of heat and Tony knew he'd be able to sleep with it near him. Somehow just having Jack around meant that nightmares stayed away.


	3. Chapter 3

Jack was awake most of the night, not that he slept much anyway, but he wanted to stay alert in case Tony had a nightmare. The man had been through so much that he wasn't ready for. Tony had no training as a soldier and was suddenly thrust into a war zone, maimed and then dropped back into real life with no help from anyone claiming to be his friend. Jack knew that most of that was because Tony always gave off the vibe of being fine, something he'd learned very early on in his life, and it made it that much harder to get close to him. The stories Tony told Jack when they were alone, down in the lab while Tony worked on the suit and the reactor, trying to find something that would keep him alive, made Jack think back to all the wars he'd been in.

When Tony was dying, and none of his friends seemed to realize anything was wrong with him, Jack showed up and started asking questions. They'd tried a small blood transfusion to see if that would make any difference, both of them being the same blood type, and Jack hadn't thought about what could lie within his blood. Turning Tony into an immortal like himself hadn't been his plan. When JARVIS told them what happened, that Tony was still dying but wouldn't stay dead, Jack's heart broke. Tony didn't blame him, said that he liked the idea of living forever, but so had Jack back when he first figured out what was going on. He knew that as the centuries passed, it was possible that he'd lose his friend. The scared little boy who grew into such a good man, one who gave so much and never asked for anything other than friendship back. The boy who kept so many things secret even to that day.

"Jack?" Tony muttered.

"Yeah, right here, kiddo," Jack said. He kissed the top of Tony's head. "How do you feel?"

"Still sleepy, but better. What time is it?"

"Nine in the morning, Sir," JARVIS replied. "I took the liberty of ordering some clothes for the Captain, as there is nothing here in his normal style."

"Thanks JARVIS," Jack said. "How about it, Tony, you feel up to a shower and some breakfast?"

"Yeah, sure."

"How about you shower and I'll go make us something to eat?" Jack asked. "I bet I can make you some favorites you haven't had in years."

Tony smiled. "You don't have to tempt me, Jack. I'm actually hungry. That sounds like a good plan, I'll meet you down in the kitchen."

"No rush." Jack watched Tony walk through to the shower and sighed. "How's it look, JARVIS?" he asked as he stripped off his shirt.

"His vitals are improved from yesterday by 25%, Sir," JARVIS replied softly. "Shall I notify the team that you're cooking brunch? I know you wish to get to know them."

"Sure, that'd be great," Jack grinned. He decided to leave his boots behind and went barefoot to the lift. "Anything you think I need to know about them?"

"Captain Rogers is the one who will be the most stubborn about your presence here, but that is only because he is still trying to adjust to the world around him," JARVIS replied. "I believe you would say he did not take the slow path."

Jack pointed a finger at the ceiling of the lift with a laugh. "You're getting good, JARVIS," he said as the doors opened. "There are days when I wonder if you really are built, or if Tony is just hiding a body somewhere."

"Sir," JARVIS said in what could only have been called a long-suffering tone.

"Hey, I've seen a lot in my time, it's possible," Jack said. He paused when he caught sight of Bruce and Barton, both men watching him. "Gentlemen, it was Doctor Banner and Agent Barton, right?"

"Yes, how did you know?" Bruce asked.

"I would say I know everything, but someone I loved so much and lost recently held that title," Jack said. "I've spent time with Fury and know a little about what he was hoping to do. You guys hungry? I'm going to cook a late breakfast for Tony and me. It's easy enough to make more."

Barton shrugged. "Sure, I could eat. I missed breakfast." He slid onto a stool at the breakfast bar and studied Jack closely. "You're different, Captain."

"Oh yeah, different how?" Jack asked with a smile. He opened the fridge and started to pull out what he needed.

"You're like Tony," Barton replied softly.

"You've got good eyes, must be the reason for your nickname there, Hawkeye," Jack said. "JARVIS told me that you'd noticed something was up. What do you think was going on?"

"I can see that he's in pain, but he stays so busy that it's impossible to talk to him. It's something to do with the battle against Loki's army, but I don't know what the problem is," Barton said.

"How much of Tony's file have you guys read?" Jack asked. "Captain Rogers, it's good to see you again. Hungry?"

"Again?" Steve asked.

Jack grinned. "You wouldn't have noticed me, but I saw you during the war," Jack said. "One of the bars you visited after a show. I thought about talking to you, but you were surrounded by fans and it just wasn't worth the trouble. I'm making late breakfast, are you hungry?"

Bruce noticed the look on Steve's face and coughed. "You shouldn't tease him, Captain Harkness," he said softly.

"I'm not," Jack said, looking up from the bread he was working with. "I was a member of the RAF during the Second World War, attached of course, because I'm not British, but they were glad enough to have me around. Something about knowing good stories, or something."

Tony walked in just in time to hear the last part of the sentence. "Jack knows all the good stories," he said with a soft smile. "He also makes them age appropriate, no matter how much you might beg him. Is there coffee?"

"Sir, might I remind you that the story of Captain Harkness' adventures in the brothels of Astrogan 5 are hardly suitable for a ten year old," JARVIS said.

"He told me when I was older," Tony said. He looked around at his team. "What?"

"Did you two hit your heads or something?" Bruce asked. "Because neither of you is making much sense right now. I feel like I need to run tests."

"Jack?" Tony asked.

"Yeah, why not. It's not like they won't have heard stranger lately," Jack said. He put a pan on the stove and dropped a lump of butter in. "Tony, any diet changes since I saw you last?"

"Nope, I'm almost perfectly healthy now and can eat what I want. I just don't, most of the time," Tony said. "It's not like this body is going to run down. I have to take care of it."

"Then you get the works, kiddo," Jack grinned.

"Okay, someone had better explain this code to me because I'm more lost than I am when Director Fury is leading a meeting," Steve said.

Tony sat down next to Barton at the breakfast bar, coffee mug in front of him. "Long version or short?"

"Long," Barton said.

"Jack's from the future, way far in the future where they have all sorts of cool stuff and people are just people from different planets," Tony said. "He's a time traveler who ended up stuck here on Earth back in the late 1800s and has been living on what is called the slow path ever since. It's not hard to work out that he's immortal from that is it?"

"Technically, Sir, he's mortally challenged," JARVIS broke in.

Jack started laughing and almost dropped the egg he was working with. "Mortally challenged, JARVIS? I love that. I'm so going to use that next time someone asks me about this. What he means, kids, is that I can still die. I feel all the pain and fear everyone does when they die. I just come back to life. I've died more times than I can count, in so many different ways, including at my own hand when I was working a case years ago."

"That's a lot to take in," Bruce said. 

"You believe us or should I have Barton here shoot him?" Tony asked.

"Death by arrow, haven't had that one in a while," Jack commented. "It's not a fun way to go and it hurts like a bitch if you pull the arrow out too soon."

"So how'd you two meet up?" Barton asked.

"When I was a kid I slipped away from the house one day, I was just fed up with being told that I couldn't go into the workshop, that I was in the way, that I was worthless," Tony said. "Jack found me on the beach and stayed to talk with me. He understood me and told me why I had to go back. Why it was important for me to be myself and not model myself after my parents. I'm still not sure how he convinced the police that he hadn't kidnapped me when they found us on the beach, but he wasn't arrested."

"Oh, that was Pete," Jack grinned. "Great legs."

Steve choked on his coffee and started spluttering. Bruce patted him carefully on the back. "So you've known Captain Harkness since you were a kid," he said.

"Yep, and Jack's always shown up when I needed him the most," Tony said. "You all know that I was taken hostage in the Middle East and that's when I ended up with this." He tapped the arc reactor. "It's not in my file, but I was beaten and tortured for months while I was there. This terrorist group had all these Stark Industry weapons, things they shouldn't have had access to, and they wanted me to build them something that would be worse than the piece I'd just delivered to the US military." He didn't look up when he felt arms around him, but knew it was Jack. "I built my first suit instead and lost a good friend. The man who installed the arc reactor and helped me build the suit. It wasn't uploading as fast as I needed it to and he went out alone to buy me more time. He died in front of me, held on long enough to remind me that I'd been given a chance and that I should use it. I leveled the terrorist base and crashed. Next thing I know, I'm found and I'm home. No one asks me what happened, no debrief, nothing. I'm just on my own and then Jack showed up. He had his boyfriend with him, but that was cool. Ianto made a mean cup of coffee."

"That he did," Jack said softly. He kissed the top of Tony's head and went back to the food prep, starting to put things on plates. "Tony and I talked about what happened to him, the torture and deprivations he'd suffered while he was there. Yan and I both tried to help him in his fight with Obie, but Tony wanted to do it alone, so we let him."

"The next time he showed up was two days after Natasha did," Tony said.

"I never saw him," Natasha protested from where she'd been leaning against a wall near the back.

"I saw you though," Jack said. He put a full plate down in front of Tony and gestured at the kitchen. "Help yourselves, guys. There's plenty. I realized what was happening when I saw the video footage of Tony at the expo and the hearings and hopped out to talk with him. We tried a few things, trying to slow the poison down just a little, but it didn't work."

"Why are you two the same?" Barton asked. "Your eyes have the same look to them, and I've never seen that on anyone else."

Tony looked surprised. Jack just sighed. "We tried a small blood transfusion," Jack said. "Took a pint and a half out of Tony and gave him some of mine. We were trying to take care of the problem, it just didn't work."

"So, wait, you're telling me that you're immortal now, Tony?" Steve asked. "When the Hulk roared and you woke up, you really had been dead and you just came back to life?"

"You're one to talk, Capsicle," Tony grinned. "Yes, that's what happened. Jack isn't lying when he says it's painful to come back. That first breath feels like your lungs are in shreds and you have to force them to work."

"Okay, so that's the long version?" Barton asked.

"The highlighted long version, yeah," Tony replied. 

"So last night was a lovers' reunion then," Natasha said.

"Uhm, what about our story gave you that idea?" Tony asked looking at her. "Because I haven't slept with anyone since before I was kidnapped, not that it's really anyone's business."

If Tony was in a better place mentally he would have enjoyed the looks of surprise and shock on the faces of everyone around him. He knew what the media said about him, knew what his people said about him, and enjoyed keeping up the image to make things interesting. Jack looked at Natasha. "You remind me of someone," he said slowly. "I just can't think who it is right now. Tony, how's the Jack toast?"

"Heavenly," Tony replied. "I still don't know how you do this. It shouldn't be possible with just butter, bread and eggs."

"It's the secret ingredients that make it so good," Jack said. "JARVIS promised me he'd keep it a secret, so don't even think about asking him."

"My own AI turned against me," Tony said, glaring at the ceiling.

"Yes Sir," JARVIS replied. "The Captain was quite detailed in explaining what he would do to me should I ever reveal what he puts in his Jack toast."

"Fair enough, we should all have our secrets," Tony said. "I will figure it out one of these days, Jack. So, where were we? Oh, right, my sex life. So much for secrets."

Jack snorted. "If you wanted your sex life to be secret, you shouldn't have decided the fountain in the middle of the town square was a good place to seduce a model," he said.

"Oh yeah, forgot about that one. That was a fun night," Tony grinned. "Okay, yes, most things you've heard about me are probably true. I never have had much shame when it comes to one-night stands, but those stopped after I was kidnapped. I couldn't stand to have anyone touch me. There were a couple of people I trusted enough to be close to me, but not strangers. Not anymore. How could I trust them? Then, after Obie, it was just worse. There's also the arc reactor to take into account. Physical exertion beyond certain acceptable levels is deadly to me, and sex is one of them. I can spar as long as I'm careful. I can fight in the suit, but not out of it for long. I think it's the fact that I'm lying down or having to support another person that makes sex so risky. I haven't wanted to try and find out. Having my heart shredded isn't a nice way to die and it would be way too hard to explain the next morning."

“But if Jack really is from the future, shouldn’t he be able to help you?” Natasha asked.

“I’m a Time Agent and Conman,” Jack said. “Reformed, Captain Rogers, don’t get that look on your face. I’m not a doctor and there’s no easy way to take Tony off-world to get him taken care of. I’ve had a few ideas, talked to a couple of friends, but nothing firm has come up so far.”

Tony snorted at the wording and looked up. “This is just how things are, guys,” he said. “Jack’s going to be here for a while.”

“Has Fury approved it?” Steve asked.

“I don’t have to ask his permission to have friends stay in the tower with us,” Tony replied. “It’s still technically my building, SHIELD never bought the lease, so it’s my choice who is here and who isn’t.”

“Easy there, kiddo,” Jack said, rubbing Tony’s back. “I’ll deal with Fury if he has problems with me being here. I haven’t had a good argument in weeks. It’ll be fun.”

“You and your ideas of fun,” Tony said. “I’m going to work in the lab. I had an idea last night that I want to get started on. I’d say behave, but I know you too well.”

“I’ll bring you lunch,” Jack said. He watched Tony walk off and looked over at Barton. “So, I’m guessing you’re the one I really need to talk to, aren’t you? Feel like going out on the roof for a bit?”

Barton grinned. “Sure, I love roofs.”


	4. Chapter 4

Tony was lost in his designing world, manipulating a coat-type figure when he registered there was someone else in the lab with him. He looked up and found Steve sitting in his chair watching him. “What’s up, Cap?”

“I’m just curious about a couple of things,” Steve said. “You trust a conman?”

“With my life,” Tony said. “Jack’s reformed, his last con was in 1941 and he met a couple of people who showed him that what he was doing was wrong and there was a better way to live. I’m not saying he hasn’t broken the law a few times since, but he doesn’t con anymore.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because I trust him,” Tony said. “Steve, think back to when you were a kid growing up. You had your friend to help you out, look out for you. Someone who wanted you around and cared enough about you to make sure you were okay. I never had that, not after Jarvis died.”

“JARVIS isn’t alive.”

“The JARVIS you know is, to a point, but he’s modeled off our butler when I was a kid,” Tony said. “He was the only one who cared about me and he died when I was still pretty young. Jack’s been a constant in my life for years, and he’s never once done anything to hurt me. There are times when he’s been more a father to me than my own dad was.”

Steve sighed. “It seems more like he took advantage of a scared child to get something he wanted.”

“What does he want? He’s never asked me for anything. Jack has always given me loyalty and friendship and someone who understands and he has never once asked me for anything. I’ve tried to give him things over the years, but he’s never taken them. Oh, he’ll let me treat him to dinner once and a while, and he let me buy his boyfriend a new suit, but that’s been it. I have never been able to get him to let me repay him for the kindness and love he’s shown me over the years,” Tony said. “And before you even start, no, he’s never once touched me sexually. That’s not how he is and he would never hurt a child like that. Think of him as my uncle if you have to.”

“I just don’t get how you can trust him when you know he’s a conman.”

“You’ve been around him for two hours, I’ve been around him for years,” Tony said. He enlarged a sleeve and started to look at the wiring running through it. “Give him an honest chance and he’ll grow on you. If you’re not comfortable with him flirting with you, tell him and he’ll stop. That’s just how he is, but he never wants to make anyone uncomfortable. Well, there was one time when he did, but it was really funny and I’m glad he did it because I wasn’t feeling good enough to handle the problem myself. One thing you’re going to learn about this age, Cap, is that there are all sorts of people who aren’t what they seem and you have to be able to look deeply to be able to figure them out. Use Jack as practice. He’s one of the deepest people I know.”  
**  
Jack looked around the roof and smiled. “Nice,” he said, sitting down in the sun. “Why do I get the feeling this was built with you in mind?”

“Because it was, but its possible Tony was also thinking about you,” Barton replied, sitting down close to Jack. “He’s even set it up so I can practice jumping off without getting hurt.”

“He does think of everything, doesn’t he?” Jack grinned. “So, tell me the truth, how much do you know?”

“I knew that Tony was abducted and held hostage for an undisclosed length of time a few years ago,” Barton said. “I didn’t know that Fury and Coulson didn’t make sure he went through some sort of debrief after the fact.” He snorted. “Even if he wasn’t a part of SHIELD at the time, the military obviously dropped the ball, someone should have picked it up and they were already looking at him. He’s having flashbacks, isn’t he?”

“I think it’s just nightmares right now, but if he’s allowed to keep going like he is, then it’ll go into flashbacks and could even get worse,” Jack said. “I’ll help him out as much as I can, I’m kinda like a security blanket to him and JARVIS is monitoring his vitals for me. I just want to know there’s someone else here who cares enough to make sure that Tony’s okay.”

“Hell, if it wasn’t for Ms. Potts, I’d be trying to get Tony into some sort of a relationship,” Barton admitted. “I’ve never once clicked so easily with someone. The man is amazing.”

“You’d still want to be with him even knowing that he can’t have sex?”

“Sure. Relationships are stronger if they’re built on something other than tumbling around in bed together, or so Coulson always told me,” Barton grinned. “I like Tony and I like being around him. I’d be happy to just know that I had him to come home to at night.”

Jack studied him for a long moment. “Then I’ll tell you something, Pepper isn’t in the picture anymore,” he said. “No details, that’s for Tony to share if he wants, but he’s not in a relationship with anyone right now.”

“Huh, I thought that Potts was just busy at work and that’s why she wasn’t around much,” Barton said. “Tony never let on that anything else had happened.”

“He won’t. He hurts too much to let anyone that close to him,” Jack said. “You said it yourself, he has a good mask and it’s hard to see behind it. I’ll be honest, if there was a way to get that shrapnel out of him so he could be healthy again, I’d do it in a second. He can’t go off-world, not with how often he’s in the press for both his company and now with you guys. There’s one person who might be able to help him, but I don’t have a way to get in touch with him right now.”

“If it meant that Tony was getting healthy again, we could work without Iron Man for a few weeks,” Barton said.

“I think Fury and Rogers might not agree,” Jack said. “Not to mention your friend sitting up behind us there listening to everything we’re saying.”

Barton looked around. “Natasha, what the hell are you doing?” he demanded. “Get down here.”

“I don’t trust him,” Natasha said when she was standing next to Barton. “Neither does Steve.”

“I’m heartbroken,” Jack said, pouting. “Two of the prettiest people here and I can’t get them to trust me.”

“You’re terrible,” Barton commented with a small smile.

“That’s what Ianto always told me,” Jack said softly. “I’m going to go look into fixing lunch. Should I make enough for everyone?”

“If it’s as good as breakfast was, I’m in,” Barton said. “I’ll meet you downstairs and we can keep talking about Tony.”

Jack grinned, knowing he’d found at least one ally who cared about Tony as much as he did, and went back inside leaving the others on the roof. Barton looked at Natasha. “You want to tell me what that was about?” he asked.

“Clint, the man admitted to being a conman,” Natasha replied. 

“Reformed,” Barton said. “You can see it if you look hard enough. He really loves Tony, and that’s what matters right now.”

“This isn’t like you.”

“This is the me that made the call not to kill you, Nat. This is the me that can see beyond the mask that Tony has on,” Barton said. “This is the me that I normally keep hidden so far down that it never sees the sun, because if it did it would be drenched in blood and I wouldn’t be who I am. You’re still learning and haven’t been able to learn to see beyond masks and acts. That’s what Tony is. You saw the real him in the battle, the man who took the nuke into another dimension not knowing that he would be able to make it back, to save the planet. Tony hides his real self just as much as I do because of his life. You need to watch him more closely and lose the ideas you got when you were sent to evaluate him.”

“Please; tell me you wouldn’t have put the same things that I did if you’d been in the same place I was.”

“I would have mentioned them, but I probably would have added some things in,” Barton said. “Like the fact that he was hiding PTSD symptoms from everyone. How hard he worked to keep people at a distance from him. Hell, I probably would’ve even noticed Jack hanging around. How’d you miss him, Natasha?”

She sat down and sighed. “I don’t know. He must have been down in the lab all the time and never anywhere else in the house. The lab was the only place I was never allowed and we couldn’t get cameras in there.”

“With respect, you never got cameras anywhere in the house,” JARVIS said. “Mr. Stark and I were both aware of what you were doing and fed you video footage, but that was his choice, not yours.”

“Which will teach you to try and bug a house with an AI in it,” Barton grinned. “Hey JARVIS, how’s Tony doing today?”

“Better than yesterday, with a continuing improvement in both his vitals and concentration,” JARVIS said. “However, I believe that he will have a headache within the next half hour.”

“What? How the hell can you predict something like that?” Barton asked.

“Normally I cannot. However, Director Fury has just rung through and asked for Captain Harkness.”


	5. Chapter 5

JARVIS let Tony know about the phone call before he notified Jack, to give Tony time to get up to the kitchen if he wanted it. There was a slight spark of mischief in the AI, not that many people realized it. When Tony got to the breakfast bar, he found Barton and Natasha already there, and Jack in the kitchen.

“You do realize, Director, that you really have no say over what I do or don’t do,” Jack was saying. “I’m here to see an old family friend and if you have a problem with that then that’s your problem and I really suggest you don’t try to make it everyone else’s problem.”

“The Avengers are my team and I have a say in what they do,” Fury replied.

“Like I’m going to try and get them to do anything,” Jack said. “I don’t give a damn who they are, where they’re from, or what they’ve done in the past. I don’t care if they go out and save the world on a daily or hourly basis. I really don’t care how tight you think you have to hold their leashes. The only one I care about right now is Tony, and as I’ve known him longer than you have, seen him through more than you have, I’m staying.”

“You’re intruding into things you don’t understand, Captain.”

Jack snorted. “Oh please, you think this is something I don’t understand? I’ve been through more than you could ever dream of, Fury. I survived an attack by aliens that completely wiped out my family and my home, lost my brother and had to survive on my own when I was ten. The same brother later came back and buried me alive and I spent the next 2,000 years underground dying every single moment,” he said. “Imagine how that feels, Fury. Knowing that your first breath is your last and there is nothing you can do to change it. There is nothing you can do to me that will top that.”

“You know, this isn’t the first time you’ve mentioned something like that, and I find it hard to believe that you’re immortal,” Fury said.

“You have trouble believing that I’m immortal when you have a team made up of a man who spent 70 years frozen in the ice, another who survived a lethal dose of radiation and can turn into another being at will,” Jack said, “not to mention the fact that your team just finished up a battle against a God and an army of aliens who wanted to destroy the planet. The offer still stands for you to come over and shoot me, you know.”

Tony snickered. “You forgot the God, Jack,” he said. “Thor’s a big part of the team, you know.”

“Right, can’t forget him,” Jack said. “Or the two wonderful assassins you have hanging around this place. Fury, what’s your real problem with me, huh? Is it because I refuse to bow down to your every wish? Or are you still mad that I got the girl.”

Natasha, Bruce, Barton and Steve all choked on their coffee. Tony just started laughing, leaning against the wall for support. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Fury hissed.

“Sure you do, that ball in London when you tried to get one of the society debutants to dance with you and she refused, and then left with me,” Jack said. “I don’t remember her name, but that was quite a night.”

“No wonder they get along so well,” Steve muttered to Bruce. “Harkness and Tony could be twins. I wonder how much influence he had on Tony when Tony was growing up. Role models are important.”

“He’s a better role model than my dad ever was,” Tony said. “Fury, bottom line here, this is my tower and I say who lives here and who doesn’t. You can either live with it or pull the team out. Your choice.”

“You’re the one who invited them all to live there in the first place.”

“Yeah, and I still think that the team needs a place that’s not under your eye to relax and be ourselves,” Tony said. “I’m telling you the options here, I’m not kicking anyone out. Jack’s here, Jack stays. That’s the bottom line. JARVIS.”

Barton laughed. “You know he’s going to show up, given that you just hung up on him.”  
“Let him, he can’t be in the same room as Jack for more than five minutes,” Tony said. He snagged a piece of apple off the cutting board. “Something about drowning in innuendo or something stupid like that.”

“Did you really steal a girl away from Fury?” Barton asked.

“Yep, over in London,” Jack replied. He pulled some pre-made dough out of the fridge and started to cut it into sections. “I’m really not even sure what the party was for anymore, it’s been a few years and I’ve had a lot happen, but I do remember how hard he was working to try and get her to dance with him. She was pretty happy to have me show up, if I remember correctly.”

Barton looked at Natasha. “You don’t think that’s the case where he was actually working in the field, do you? Remember, Coulson told us about that case, some girl’s mother was working with a terrorist group or something and Fury was the only one that was completely unknown so he had to take the case.”

“He wouldn’t like you if you screwed up one of his ops,” Natasha said.

“That doesn’t explain the dead woman found two days later, does it?” Jack asked innocently. “Torchwood was aware of her actions and it wasn’t terrorists that she was working with, but an alien. I’ve always been a huge fan of mixing business and pleasure, so I took the chance to have some fun with the girl before I took care of her mother and the alien.”

Natasha looked at Jack with a little more respect while Steve just looked horrified. Barton sighed. “Don’t even, Cap, it’s not worth it,” he said. “Sometimes morals are bent and sometimes they don’t even apply. It’s just something you’re going to have to get used to.”

“So, anyone want to bet on how long it takes Fury to get here?” Tony asked.

“I think he’ll be here in time for lunch,” Jack said. “As much as he hates me, he does seem to like my cooking.”


	6. Chapter 6

“So, what were you and Barton talking about this afternoon?” Tony asked, once Fury had left. The argument had been brief, stopped when Jack shoved a pastry in the other man’s mouth and told him to sit down. To everyone’s surprise, he did.

“I like Barton, he’s the only one around here who seems to see anything that’s right under their noses,” Jack said.

Tony started laughing. “He doesn’t see that great up close, but I get your meaning,” he said. “What’s he noticing now?”

“You.”

That seemed to stop Tony for a minute. “Me?”

“Yep. He’s noticed more about you than I could have hoped and has been willing to share it,” Jack said. “He’s also interested in you, Tony. In you and not what you can do in bed.”

“You’re kidding me.”

“Nope.”

“I don’t know if I can trust anyone like that again, Jack,” Tony said. He sat down on the sofa in his lab and pulled his knees up to his chest. “You’re different, I don’t have any problems with you touching me because you’re familiar.”

Jack wrapped his arms around Tony and pulled him into a hug. “I’m your security blanket, Tony,” he said. “Hell, it’s possible that Barton wouldn’t mind me being in bed with the pair of you.”

“Oh god, that mental image might have just killed me,” Tony groaned.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t tease,” Jack said. “Seriously though, talk with Barton and see what he has to say. You know I’m not leaving, not until you tell me to, but you need someone you can love. Like I had Ianto. It just makes you that much of a better person, Tony.”

“Even knowing that I’ll outlive him?”

“Yeah, even then. He heard everything you said today, he knows what he’s getting into,” Jack said. He kissed the top of Tony’s head. “You should ask him down here, show him those prototypes you’ve been working on and ask him out to dinner. Just the two of you away from this place. Having the team here is great for learning to like each other, but you don’t need them around when you’re trying to start up a romance.”

“I can see so many problems with this,” Tony said. “Starting with the fact that I will outlive him, I can’t stand to be touched by anyone other than you, I’m having bad nightmares, I work impossible hours, Natasha, the Cap and Bruce.”

“I think he’ll understand all of those and help you work through most of them, but what problems do you see with your team?”

“The Cap worries about dynamics and team integrity and I’m sure that he’ll have something to say about me hooking up with Barton and most of it won’t be nice. Barton and Natasha are best friends, hell they might have even been more and I just haven’t picked up on it and you’ve probably noticed that despite what I did at the end of the battle, including dying, Natasha hasn’t exactly warmed up to me, and will probably have a few things to say if I try and ask Barton out to dinner.”

“Bruce?”

“He hates conflict and does everything he can to avoid it. I don’t blame him, the other guy is always pretty close to the surface, he’s still learning how to co-exist with him, and stress is one of his triggers. I think he’d accept a same-sex relationship with no problems, but he’d be worried about the stress it would cause around the tower. Of the team though, I think he’d be the most accepting of it all.”

Jack sighed. “I think Natasha already knows that Barton fancies you.”  
“What? How? I didn’t even know.”

“She was spying on Barton and me when we were up on the roof,” Jack said. “He stayed up there to talk with her when I came down to make lunch so I don’t know what was said.”

“Huh, and she didn’t try to kill me,” Tony said. He yawned. “Sorry. It seems like I’ve done nothing but sleep and eat since you got here.”

“That’s what you need to do, so don’t you apologize for it, kiddo,” Jack said. “Come on, let’s go to bed and we can plan a seduction tomorrow.”

Tony snorted. “Seduction seems to include sex, Jack. I don’t see how that could work.”

“I haven’t given up on getting that stuff out of you. I’m just not sure what our next move should be,” Jack admitted. “If my friend would get back to me, I might have an idea or two that we could work with.”

“I guess I’ll just have to wait until technology and medicine advance far enough to take care of this for me,” Tony sighed. “JARVIS, save the plans I was working with, I’ll want to work on them again tomorrow.”

“Yes, Sir.”


	7. Chapter 7

“Sir, Captain Rogers wishes me to inform you there is an intruder in the common area,” JARVIS said, jarring both Jack and Tony awake.

“Okay, how the hell did anyone get in here without you knowing about it or setting off any alarms?” Tony demanded. He pulled on a t-shirt and looked back at Jack. “You coming?”

“JARVIS, can you show me the common area and this intruder?” Jack asked.

“Certainly, Sir.”

Jack glanced over at the TV and grinned when he saw what was sitting in the middle of the living room. “Sorry about the table, Tony,” he said. “That’s not an intruder. That’s an old friend, one I’ve wanted you to meet for a long time. Come on.”

“Oh, no way,” Tony laughed as he followed Jack into the lift.

“Yep, finally,” Jack replied. “Now let’s see if I can convince your team that they don’t need to shoot first and ask questions later. Those looked like some pretty serious guns. Fury is using alien tech again, isn’t he?”

“Probably. When I said I wasn’t going to be making weapons anymore, with that not holding to the members of the Avengers, I think Fury started looking for other ways to make weapons,” Tony said. He followed Jack out of the lift. “I know he’s got a council of some sort that he answers to, but I don’t know who they are or how much power they actually hold over SHIELD. I do know that Fury tried to stop the nuke and warned me as fast as he could to save New York.”

“We’ll give him the benefit of the doubt for now,” Jack said. He rounded the corner and found the rest of the Avengers, minus Thor, standing around the TARDIS. “Stand down, it’s not a threat.”

“How do you know that?” Steve asked, not moving.

“Because this is the ship of one of my oldest friends,” Jack said. “No, literally, he’s older than I am, we think.” He walked over and put a hand against the TARDIS. “Hello there, beautiful. It’s good to see you again. Doctor, I know you’re in there and you can hear me. Get out here.”

Tony looked at the others. Barton and Bruce were the only ones who had relaxed. “Cap, Natasha, trust him,” he said. “Jack knows what he’s talking about.”

Everyone jumped a little when the door opened suddenly and a young man looked out. “There you are, Jack. I went to Cardiff first looking for you and found, well, what I found wasn’t pretty and I thought that you had left the Earth without letting me know about it,” the Doctor said. “Then the TARDIS picked up your vortex manipulator signal here, so we thought we’d pop in and have a look. See how you’re doing and all that.”

“Doctor, you regenerated again. How long?”

“Not long after our trip with Davros and the Daleks,” the Doctor said. “Still, could be worse.” He seemed to just notice the others in the room. “Oh, hello, I didn’t see you there. I’m the Doctor.”

“Doctor Who?” Steve asked.

“Just the Doctor,” he replied. “Who are your friends, Jack? They don’t look like your team. Where’s Ianto?”

Jack sighed. “We need to talk, Doctor. Can we?” he pointed at the TARDIS.

“Of course, she’ll be thrilled to see you again,” the Doctor grinned. “Anyone else coming?”

“Not right now,” Jack said. “Tony, I’ll be back in a bit. We won’t leave, I promise. If anyone can help you out, it’ll be the Doctor.”

Tony nodded. “I’ll make coffee or something,” he said. “See you in a bit.”

Jack walked into the TARDIS and shut the door behind him. “Whoa, redecorated a bit too, huh?” he asked, taking in the cool lines, the silver and green that made the room look even bigger than it was. “Is that Gallifreyian up there?”

“Of course it is,” the Doctor said. “Jack, I only just got your message. I’ve been in a bad place and haven’t been communicating with anyone. It’s a very long story, but I lost two friends who are very, very dear to me.”

“Like Rose, huh?”

“Yes, very much like Rose,” the Doctor said. “I would have come sooner had I known you needed my help, but I locked out all communications. I tried to retire, to hide away and run from the universe. For that, I’m sorry. Tell me, where’s your team?”

“Dead,” Jack said. He sat down next to the Doctor and looked to see if it was possible to still prop his feet up on the main console. “The 456 came back and I lost everyone, including Ianto.”

“Oh Jack,” the Doctor said. He put an arm around the immortal’s shoulders. “I’m sorry, but that’s a fixed point in time. Even if I had been here, there would have been nothing I could do. Are you all right?”

“Probably about as good as you are,” Jack admitted. “I would have run, left Earth behind if not for my friend out there. Tony still needs me, Doctor. I’m not going to leave while he’s still here and still in such pain.”

“Tell me about him,” the Doctor said. “Before you ask, yes, I did see. He’s no more wrong than you are, Jack. There had to have been a good reason for it.”

“I thought there was, but my heart still skipped a few beats when I realized what I’d done,” Jack said. “Tony’s fighting a battle for his life. You saw the glow under his shirt? The blue circle of light?”

“I did, yes.”

“It’s an arc reactor,” Jack said. “He was attacked several years ago in the Middle East, I’m not even sure what part of it, and some shrapnel lodged in his chest. It’s trying to get into his heart and that arc reactor stops it. It also poisoned him before he was able to create a new element to power it, and we thought that a blood transfusion would help him. I didn’t even think that he’d end up immortal. I just wanted to try and save him.”

The Doctor smiled. “He’s obviously precious to you, Jack. How long have you known him?”

“Forty years, give or take, I met him when he was just a lost kid with no one else to talk to and hurting badly,” Jack said. “I’ve watched him grow up into this amazing man that he has to hide behind masks in order to stay sane. I want more than anything to get that shrapnel and reactor out of his chest, but the medical on Earth still isn’t advanced enough to do it.”

“You’d like me to take a look?”

“If you could. I know he’ll come back to life if the arc reactor ever fails, but having his heart shredded would not be a pleasant way to die.” Jack sighed. “I know he’ll be able to work through the other problems he’s having with his team, most of them just don’t see the real him, but I’d like to be able to do this much for him at least.”

“Well then, why don’t we go take a look?” the Doctor asked. “Would he be able to go off-world with us if need be?”

“No, he’s head of one of the largest companies on the planet and he works with a team of super-beings to protect the Earth from alien invasions,” Jack said. “I don’t know, the folks at Torchwood One, before it was destroyed, hated SHIELD and all their weapons development, but I think what they really hated was the competition.”

The Doctor’s face darkened. “Using alien tech to make weapons? I think, Captain, that I’d like to meet this group that calls themselves SHIELD. They need to be warned that what they’re doing is in direct violation of several laws, and that I don’t approve. Maybe I’ve been gone for too long, Jack.”

“You did what you needed to do. Come on, I bet there’s food ready out there and I know I’m hungry.”

“Do they have any fish fingers and custard?” the Doctor asked, following Jack out into the living room.

“I would doubt it, but what the hell. JARVIS, any chance you could order us some fish sticks and custard?” Jack asked.

“While that sounds absolutely appalling, yes Sir, I will be happy to place the order,” JARVIS replied. “The others are in the kitchen on this level. Shall I alert them that you are coming to meet them?”

“Nah, that’s okay,” Jack said. 

“Who is that?” the Doctor asked, looking around.

“Tony’s AI,” Jack replied. “JARVIS, this is the Doctor.”

“Delighted to make your acquaintance, Sir,” JARVIS said. “If there is anything you require during your stay with us, please let me know.”

The Doctor looked around. “I wasn’t expecting such a high level of technology for this time,” he said. “I think I’m going to enjoy speaking with your friend Tony. Lead the way, Captain.”  
**  
“Okay, Tony, you want to tell me what the hell you’re thinking here?” Steve asked as he followed the other man towards the kitchen. 

“I’m thinking about coffee and maybe some breakfast. Does anyone want breakfast? I’m not as good as Jack, but I haven’t burned the eggs in years,” Tony replied. “Seriously, breakfast? Anyone?”

“Sure, I’m game,” Barton grinned. He slid onto his favorite perch and looked back towards the living room. “So, friendly alien?”

“From what Jack’s told me, one of the best around,” Tony said. “I think he’s here, well, he’s here to try and help me.”

Steve leaned against the breakfast bar. “Help you with what?” he asked.

“Personal problem,” Tony said. “Barton, toss me those bananas, would you?”

“You’re seriously asking me to throw fruit at you?”

“Well, first of all bananas are seeds not fruit and I’m asking you to toss them not throw them. Tossing implies gentle, throwing is more violent,” Tony said. He caught the bunch and shook his hand. “Ow, Barton. Go easy on the food, will you?”

“Shut up and start cooking, Tony; I’m hungry,” Barton said.

“How did they both fit in that box?” Natasha asked, appearing around the corner.

“It’s not a box, it’s a ship,” Tony said. “JARVIS, any chance of you getting a scan of the inside?”

“I’m afraid not, Sir. She’s a wonderful conversationalist, but is quite firm that no one is getting a look at her insides, at least not without a proper introduction first,” JARVIS replied. “So nice to meet a proper lady after so many years.”

Tony stopped cold and his mind filled with images of his AI marrying the TARDIS and little blue baby robots running around the tower. He blinked a few times and walked into the fridge. Barton started laughing. “You okay there, Tony?”

“Huh, oh, yeah fine. I think. Fine, I think, very fine,” Tony muttered, rubbing his nose. “What was I doing again?”

“Sitting down and letting me cook,” Jack said, sweeping into the kitchen. “Tony, why is your nose red?”

“He ran into the fridge,” Barton called.

“Oh, Tony,” Jack said. He kissed the tip of Tony’s nose and grinned. “What happened?”

“I’ll tell you later, when we’re alone,” Tony said. He moved to sit next to Barton and poked the archer. “It’s not nice to laugh at someone else’s pain, you know.”

“Yeah, I know,” Barton said. “If you’d really been hurt, I wouldn’t have been laughing. Hey there, Doctor, are you going to join us?”

“I didn’t want to intrude,” the Doctor said. He sat down where he could see everyone and smiled. “So, super heroes, that’s cool. Fighting aliens though, not so cool.”

“Yeah, well, you didn’t see them, Doctor,” Steve said. “We didn’t have much of a choice.”

“Oh, there’s always a choice. Yes, there’s so much that humans have to learn, so many baby steps to take out into the universe,” he said. “I should see about getting a copy of the Shadow Proclamation to leave here. That would help you all.”

“Doc, no offense, but I saw these most recent aliens and they didn’t look like they really would’ve cared about the universal laws,” Jack said. “They were more of the shoot first and throw out the rest later type.”

The Doctor sighed. “Oh, I do hate that sort. So, Tony, Jack told me what all has happened,” he said. “Do you want my help?”

“Help with what?” Steve asked.

“Is he always this inquisitive?” the Doctor asked turning to look at Steve.

“Sir,” JARVIS interrupted, “your breakfast has arrived. Where would you like to eat it?”

“Breakfast?” Tony asked, looking around.

“Ah, yes, that would be my food,” the Doctor replied with a smile. “Here would be lovely, JARVIS, thank you so much.”

“It was my pleasure, Sir,” JARVIS said.

The Avengers all took a step back when the Doctor’s food was spread out in the breakfast bar in front of him. “Is there a problem?” he asked.

“You’re really going to eat that?” Natasha asked.

“Of course, it really is quite delightful, even if it does make me sad.”

“They ate it with you, huh Doc?”

“Yes, Jack, they did,” the Doctor said. “Still, those are some of my happier memories, so I won’t waste the food. Tony, you never answered my question, did you want my help or is this something Jack planned without talking to you about it?”

Tony decided there were odder things in the world to eat than fish fingers and custard and sat back down at the breakfast bar. Hell, he’d probably even eaten some of them when he was programming and lost track of things. “He talked to me about it, back when I was dying and we were trying to come up with options. It’s something I want, Doctor. It would lead to more challenges, but it’s something I would love to have happen.”

“Good, well then, after you’ve eaten, we can see what the TARDIS makes of you,” the Doctor said.

“You’ll love her, Tony,” Jack said. He slid a plate in front of Tony and one in front of Barton. “There’s plenty Captain, Natasha, help yourselves.”

“Why do they get service and we don’t?” Natasha asked.

“Because they’re treating me like I’m human and not a monster,” Jack replied easily. “Kindness goes a long way in the universe, right, Doc?”

“Quite right,” the Doctor agreed. “Jack is one of the most honest people you’ll meet. He’s brave, he cares deeply for others and he will always put himself in the way of danger if it means someone else will be safe. Such a brilliant man.”

Jack hopped up onto the breakfast bar and leaned back against one of the supports. “Thanks, Doctor,” he said softly.

“You deserve to hear it, Jack. Now, everyone eat up. We have tests to run and adventures to be had,” the Doctor said, clapping his hands. “I love new things.”


	8. Chapter 8

“Doctor, Sir,” JARVIS said as the Doctor was opening the door to the TARDIS. “Would you ask your ship if she would be willing to exchange more information with me?”

Tony walked into the side of the TARDIS, his mind once again filled with small blue robots running around his tower. Jack caught him as he stumbled back. “You are so telling me what’s going through that head of yours, Tony.”

“I’ll ask her, JARVIS, but never let it be said that anyone can predict exactly what a woman will want,” the Doctor said with a small smile.

“How very true. Thank you, Sir.”

“The things they could learn from each other boggles even my rather expansive mind,” Tony said as the door shut behind them. “Wow, this is awesome.”

“Welcome to the TARDIS, Tony,” Jack said. “She’s sentient and knows everything that happens in and around her. She’s also very opinionated.”

“Only with you, Jack,” the Doctor said.

Jack laughed. “So that wasn’t you I saw getting shocked when we were doing repairs that one time?” he asked. “She didn’t like his hand where it was.”

“Yes, well, she and I have a complicated relationship,” the Doctor grinned. “So, Tony, you have metal in or near your heart that you want to be rid of, correct?”

“Yeah,” Tony said. “They’re too tiny for modern day medicine to remove, or something like that. I wasn’t really that alert when it was explained to me, and I’ve never let a doctor get near me to find out what it really looks like in there. I just know that if the arc reactor fails, I’m dead. Well, dead repeatedly until the reactor is restarted.”

“Old girl, what do you think?” the Doctor asked, running the sonic screwdriver over the arc reactor and Tony’s chest.

The TARDIS turned on a monitor and started to flash information across it. Tony watched, puzzled and awed. “Is that an alien language?”

“Yes,” the Doctor said. “I’m sure that your friend JARVIS has picked up a little of it from talking with the TARDIS, but it’s a temporal language and impossible for humans to understand. However, she says that she can see the shrapnel and it’s nesting just inside your chest cavity, almost hugging your heart. We would be able to get it, and the arc reactor out, but you would die in the process.”

“Do it,” Tony said.

“Tony,” Jack said, “are you positive?”

“I can build a mini-reactor to power the suit and I won’t have to worry about how I sleep or if the arc reactor is going to fail on me,” Tony said. “I could have a relationship again, Jack. I miss it, even with how scared I am to let people touch me. I’d like to try.”

“How long will it take, Doc?” Jack asked.

“Three hours, maybe four to allow for bone and tissue to be regrown,” the Doctor said. “I’ll take care of him, Jack. You go and tend to his team.”

Jack pulled Tony into a tight hug. “I’ll be waiting when you wake up, kiddo,” he whispered. “You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”

“Bring Barton?” Tony asked.

“Of course. Doctor, I’ll also see if I can get Director Fury to come visit. He’s the one you wanted to talk to about the tech.”

“Ah, yes, thank you, Jack,” the Doctor said. “I’ll have the TARDIS keep JARVIS updated on the progress of the operation, and call you back when it’s done.”

“Thanks, Doc,” Jack said. He kissed the top of Tony’s head. “See you in a bit, kiddo.”


	9. Chapter 9

“Where’s Tony?”

Jack shut the door of the TARDIS behind him and made sure it was locked. He’d be able to get back in because she liked him, but no one else would unless the Doctor unlocked it first. “He’s staying with the Doctor for a bit,” he said with an easy grin. “They’ve really hit it off and are talking tech.”

“You just left?” Steve asked.

“I’m not exactly that great with tech talk,” Jack replied. “I left that to one of my team, she was so brilliant with it, and focused on figuring out what the threat level was most of the time.”

“So what are you planning to do now?”

“Well, I need to call Fury and see if he can pencil in a meeting with the Doctor, and then I thought I’d go back up to the roof and rest for a bit,” Jack said. “It’s nice up there, quiet and peaceful. Good environment for thinking.”

“You’re not going anywhere without an escort.”

“I like escorts,” Jack grinned. “Oh, wait, you mean the other sort. Damn, thought I was going to get lucky after all. Oh well, where’s Agent Barton? He had some questions for me.”

“Barton’s busy,” Steve said. “I’ll escort you.”

“No offense, chuckles, but you’re really not my type,” Jack said. “Guess I’ll just stay here and think then. JARVIS, would you call Fury for me?”

“Of course, Sir,” JARVIS said. “What time would you like to meet with him?”

“Let’s not be pushy, this isn’t officially Torchwood business, so see about late tonight or tomorrow morning,” Jack said. “Let him know, also, that I can make this official Torchwood business if he wants me to.”

“Very good, Sir. Anything else?”

“Yeah, let Barton know I need to talk to him when he’s free,” Jack said. He ignored the dip in the sofa when Steve sat down next to him.

“Yes, Sir,” JARVIS said.

Jack leaned back and closed his eyes. He knew that the Doctor would take care of Tony, that things would happen and that Tony would die, but he’d come back and Jack wasn’t at risk of losing him forever. Just until the heart and chest rebuilt and Tony decided to wake up, and Jack would be able to be next to him for that part of it. He knew what Tony would be feeling when he came back, the sort of agony the first breath into previously dead lungs could cause, and knowing that it would only be worse with the healing that Tony would be going through.

He grinned when he thought about Tony free of the arc reactor and wondered if maybe they shouldn’t talk about making a small dummy one for him to wear in public and around others because Tony had planned to use that as his excuse for living forever. Jack knew that Tony would enjoy that sort of a prank, and the challenge involved in creating it.

“What are you grinning about?” Steve’s voice broke into his thoughts.

“Just thinking about something I wanted to ask Tony,” Jack said, not opening his eyes. He reached out and caught the hand reaching towards him. “New flash, Captain Rogers, I don’t like being touched by people who hate me. Well, not unless I’ve done something to really deserve their hate, but even then it’s not fun.”

“What do you want from Tony?”

“Nothing.” Jack looked over at Steve and blinked a few times. “I want him to be healthy and happy and live his life as he wants to. Not that I think anyone could really stop him, but the hope is there.”

“You’re a conman, did you take things from Howard?”

“I’m starting to get the feeling that mentioning that was a mistake,” Jack said. “I haven’t run a con on anyone in centuries. My last one was a flop, I almost wiped out the human race in the process, and I sacrificed my life to save them. This was before I couldn’t die, so it was a real sacrifice, not what you’re thinking.”

“Then why are you still here?”

“Because that man in there with Tony, the Doctor, rescued me at the last second,” Jack said. “He’s seen the worst of the universe, saved worlds from those who would destroy them and dance on the remains of the race that lived there before. He trusts me. Tony trusts me. Seems to me that you need to take a step back and think things over before you make a complete and total fool of yourself.”

“You can’t trust a conman.” Steve crossed his arms over his chest. “Everything they say and do is a lie that benefits them and no one else.”

“That’s a nice argument there and almost iron tight because if I say I’m not lying, and you think I am lying then the question is if I am lying or not,” Jack said. “But if I lie to you and tell you that I’m lying and you think that I’m a liar, then I’m not lying. On the other hand, I could tell you to go stuff yourself and we’d be fine.”

Laughter from the doorway caught their attention. Barton was leaning against the jam laughing so hard that his legs were about to give out under him. “That, that has to be one of the most warped arguments I’ve ever heard in my life,” he managed to get out.

“That’s nothing,” Jack said, lips twitching. “I’ve caused temporal paradoxes before, you know. There’s nothing as embarrassing as waking up with yourself in your lover’s bed. Although, Ianto did seem to enjoy it while it lasted.”

“Do you have anything to remember him by?” Barton asked. He perched on the back of the sofa. “How’d he die?”

“A bad group of aliens got him and I wasn’t fast enough to save him,” Jack said. “I’ve got a few of his things, like his diary and his favorite tie, but I’d give them back in a second if it meant that I could have him back.”

“So go back and get him,” Steve said. “You said you’re a time agent, whatever the hell that is, and you’re immortal. Just take a trip back in time and pull him out.”

“I can’t.”

“Why not, it sounds like you’ve hopped around time enough,” Steve said.

Barton read the look on Jack’s face and ducked a split second before the explosion. “What do you know about it, Mr. Sanctimonious?” Jack demanded in an icy tone. “You think that it’s easy to just flit back and time and fix something? There are timelines in place and messing with them is enough to make the whole universe explode. End life for unknown millions of beings for some selfish impulse? Ianto would shoot me on sight if he knew that I’d done something like that. So I’m not a poster child held up for children to mimic, I’ve made mistakes, but I have always fixed them. I’ve lost more than you can ever imagine and will suffer loss for the rest of time. There is no way to fix me. Even Tony will leave me someday, sick and tired of me hanging around. He’ll hate me for what happened to him and then I’ll be alone again. Alone and in pain with no one to care about it. So yeah, why not just go back in time and pick up Ianto? Hell, I could save the rest of my team too. I know when they’re going to die, who is going to kill them, I’ll just go rip them from their timeline so I can have family around me for another forty or so years. They’ll be out of place, but what the hell, at least I won’t be alone. You never mess with time. Ever. Time is fixed and there is nothing that can change that. Ianto died a hero and I would never be selfish enough to take that away from him.”

Jack touched the door of the TARDIS and it swung open for him. He vanished inside without a look back and slammed the door behind him. JARVIS coughed politely. “Agent Barton, the Doctor wishes me to inform you that Mr. Stark’s vitals are within normal and acceptable parameters for the early stage of the operation. There is no way to estimate when he will die, but the Doctor believes that it will be soon. He will inform us when Mr. Stark comes back to life.”


	10. Chapter 10

Barton threw himself against the door of the TARDIS and started pounding on it. “Jack! Tony! No, don’t do it! It’s not worth it. Stop, someone listen to me. This isn’t what you guys have to do,” he yelled, trying to fight back tears. “Tony, you can’t die. You can’t do this to yourself.” He slid down the door and rested his head against it, tears winning out. “You can’t.”

The noise alerted the others there was something going on and they dashed in, obviously expecting some sort of fight. “What’s going on?” Natasha demanded. “Clint?”

“I don’t know,” Steve replied, obviously shocked and trying to process through everything he’d heard. “JARVIS said that Tony’s going through some sort of an operation and is about to die and then Barton went crazy.”

“Where’s Jack?” Bruce asked, looking around.

“In there,” Steve said, pointing at the TARDIS. “He slammed in there just before JARVIS told us about Tony.”

“Tony,” Barton whispered looking up at the door, “Tony.”

“Okay, what is going on with you, Barton?” Steve asked. “I’ve seen you kill people without any emotion. You don’t even laugh at movie night.”

Natasha looked over. “He’s in love with Tony,” she said. “And hasn’t had a chance to tell him that yet. Clint, come on, let’s sit on the sofa and wait. You know Tony will be fine. He’s too stubborn to just roll over and die. Come on, you can’t do him any good here like this.”

“I need to get in there,” Barton whispered. “Please, let me in. I need to see Tony, please. Don’t leave me out here like this.”

The door cracked open. “Come on, Clint,” Jack said. “Just you, come on.”

“Harkness,” Natasha said.

“I’ll take care of him,” Jack said. “I promise.”

She nodded and stepped back, blocking the others. Barton crawled into the TARDIS, not seeming to care about his team watching him. “Natasha?” Steve said.

“That’s where he needs to be,” Natasha said. “Now I want someone to tell me what’s been going on here.”

“Captain Rogers seems to believe that the good Captain is trying to con Mr. Stark in some way and has objected to his presence here,” JARVIS said. “Captain Harkness took understandable offense at such a comment, but held his temper until Captain Rogers suggested tampering with time.”

“Steve, I can understand why you might have issues with Jack, his past and everything,” Bruce said. “But Tony obviously trusts him and I thought you’d come around to the point where you were trusting Tony a little more. What happened?”

“You can never trust a conman,” Steve insisted. “No matter what they say or what they do, they’re lying.”

Bruce looked over at Natasha as Steve stormed out of the room. “I think that maybe we need to talk to someone about looking into Steve’s past.”

“Yeah, the way he’s talking, he’s had problems with a con and no one ever helped him deal with it,” Natasha said. “I’ll talk to a couple of contacts as SHIELD and see if they know anything.”

“I’ll keep an eye on Steve,” Bruce said. “JARVIS, is there anything you could do to help?”

“I fear not, Sir, not without something more specific to search for,” JARVIS said. “However, I can search into Captain Roger’s past if you think it would be help?”

“Anything can help at this point,” Bruce said. “Thanks, JARVIS. Will you let me know when Tony’s able to talk?”

“Certainly, Sir,” JARVIS said.

“Natasha?”

“Yeah, I guess all we can do is research until Clint or Jack comes out to talk to us,” Natasha sighed.

“Clint is really in love with Tony?” Bruce asked.

“That’s what he says,” Natasha replied. “I’ve never seen Clint cry, not once. Not even when he found out about Coulson. That display in there actually scared me.”

“I didn’t think anything scared you,” Bruce said.

“Don’t tell anyone,” Natasha said with a small smile.  
**  
As mad as Jack was at Steve Rogers and his attitude, his heart about broke when the TARDIS showed him Barton against the door crying. There was no way that he’d be able to leave the other man outside, alone, when he was so scared and obviously hurting. Jack sighed and opened the door. “Come on, Clint. Just you, come on.”

“Harkness,” Natasha said.

“I’ll take care of him,” Jack said. “I promise.” He stepped to the side to let Barton join him in the TARDIS and about cried when the other man crawled in. “Hey, come on, let’s get you to a chair.”

“Tony,” Barton said.

“Clint, listen to me,” Jack said. “Tony isn’t doing this because of you. He’s wanted the shrapnel and arc reactor out since he was kidnapped. We’ve been searching for ways to do it, and the Doctor is able to do it. I think if he didn’t have the TARDIS, we’d be out of options.”

“He’s going to die,” Barton said looking up at Jack. “He can’t die.”

“Hey beautiful,” Jack said, looking at the main console, “can you show us Tony?”

The monitor by the main console turned on. The Doctor was carefully removing the canister that had housed the arc reactor in Tony’s chest. Tony was breathing and the monitors all read normal vital signs. Barton stared at the image in front of him. “He’s still alive.”

“Clint, you don’t want to watch him die,” Jack said softly. “Trust me that he’ll wake up and we’ll be next to him when he does, but this isn’t something you need to be watching.”

“I love him,” Barton whispered. “I never told him, Jack. I just watched him, too scared to make a move, thinking that he was still with Pepper.” He almost whimpered when the monitor went dark. “How can you be so sure he’ll come back to life?”

“Because he will. He’s died a couple of times since the transfusion and he’s come back each time,” Jack said. He put an arm around Clint’s shoulder and pulled him in. “I mentioned that you were interested in him, but that’s not the reason he’s in there. He’s scared, Clint. He’s been hurt so badly that he doesn’t want anyone to touch him, but I think he’s thinking about trying with you.”

“Really?”

“I don’t want to get your hopes up, but one of his reasons for the surgery is so he can try to have normal relationships,” Jack said. “Talk with him, Clint, really talk with him and be willing to put up with a few bad habits and I think you can help him finally heal from his kidnapping.”

“He’s always touching people. How can he always be touching people and also have issues about being touched?”

“Control. It’s about control and power. When he touches someone, he’s in control. If someone touches him, then he has to worry that they might hurt him. They could do whatever they wanted and, if he’s not alert, they might be able to,” Jack said. “Come on, let’s see if we can find the kitchen and get some coffee or something.”

Barton looked around and finally seemed to take in the room around him. “How the hell?”

“Just take her as she is,” Jack grinned. “You’d make the Doctor really happy if you commented on how it’s bigger on the inside. He really likes that. Come on, the kitchen used to be sort of in this direction.”

“Jack, you do realize you make very little sense,” Barton said, following the other man out of the control room and down a hallway. “How big is the TARDIS?”

“I don’t know, I’ve never been everywhere in here,” Jack said. “If she likes you and wants you to get somewhere then the halls are short and easy. It’s a pretty good clue that you’re not supposed to be somewhere when the hall goes on forever. And I’ll have you know I make perfect sense, you just haven’t had the experience to understand what I’m saying.”

“Jack.” The Doctor’s voice broke in. “It’s done and I’m going to help with regeneration. Is Agent Barton with you?”

“Yeah,” Jack said. “Where do you want us, Doctor? I was thinking kitchen, but we can come join you.”

“Give me a few minutes to clean up in here and get things taken care of,” the Doctor said. “I don’t want to traumatize Agent Barton.”

“We’ll come on over and wait out in the hall until you say it’s okay for us to come in and wait.”

Barton looked up at him. “Jack?”

“Tony’s dead,” Jack said softly. “The reactor is out and the Doctor is going to start the regeneration of tissue and bone, but Tony’s body will do most of that on its own. When he wakes up, it’ll be like he was never hurt.”

“I don’t know if I can stand to see him all bloody.”

“That’s what’s being cleaned up,” Jack said. He turned down the lit hall and patted the wall in thanks. “Tony will be covered when we’re sitting with him, and you won’t be able to see anything.”

“I don’t know....”

“Clint, he asked for you to be there when he woke up,” Jack said. “You don’t have to, you can wait out in the hall. Tony will understand, I promise. As long as you’re close and can get to him quickly then it’s fine.”

Barton nodded. “I’ll have to see. I have so many emotions running through me right now that I don’t know what’s even going on with me.”

“Is this the first time you’ve been in love?”

“I think so, yeah.”

Jack slid down the wall and settled on the floor with the ease of a man who could be comfortable anywhere. “The first time I saw Ianto I felt like I’d been punched. Granted we’d been in a fight with an alien and I almost died in front of him so I was healing, which hurt, but everything about him just screamed ‘take me’ and I wanted it. Then I found out that was what he wanted. He had a secret he wanted to hide and used my attraction to him to do it,” Jack said softly. “I thought, after that, there was no way I would ever be able to trust him again. He called me a monster and told me that he hated me. I wanted to hate him, but I couldn’t. He still pulled me in and I slowly started to open up to him again. I never told him everything, he found out that I come back after I was shot in the head by a team member, but he knew more about me than anyone else ever has. The worst part of it all is that I never got to tell him that I love him, not when he was alive. I don’t know if he died thinking that I didn’t love him and was just using him. I hope not, I hope something got through to him, but I still don’t know for sure. I don’t know how I could have been so stupid to not tell him, but I didn’t. Maybe it was fear. I always knew I was going to outlive him, that he would die some day, but I didn’t think it would be so soon. I won’t say that I would do anything to get him back, because I can’t, but there are nights when I wake up and I just cry because I’ll never wake up with him next to me again.”

“So you’re saying that love is supposed to be a mess of confusing emotions making you feel like you’ve been punched in the guts?” Barton asked, sitting down next to Jack.

“Pretty much, at least that’s how I feel,” Jack said with a small smile. “With Tony, I love him and he knows it, but it’s not wanting to sleep with him. It’s like he’s my kid, but I sleep with him.”

Barton sighed. “You’re probably the most confusing man I’ve ever met. You mean you sleep in the same bed as him, but don’t have sex with him,” he said.

“How can I be confusing when you understood what I meant?” Jack asked. “The only other person I’ve ever felt this confused tumble of emotions for is the Doctor. He’s really different than when I met him, and I don’t know how to read him now.”

“Yes, well, let’s just say that the feelings are the same, Jack, and leave it at that,” the Doctor said, looking out at them. “Agent Barton, Tony is, well, he is dead at the moment, but you can’t tell what’s happened to him if you want to come in and sit with him.”

“I don’t know,” Barton said.

“Want me to go in and start talking to him and you can join us when you’re feeling more comfortable?” Jack asked.

“Maybe just give me a minute. I’ll be there,” Barton said.


	11. Chapter 11

Jack followed the Doctor into the med bay and sat down next to the table Tony was lying on. “What’d you find?”

“I’ve never seen technology like this before, Jack. They broke open his rib cage to put this in place and the bone healed around it, holding the metal in place,” the Doctor said. “Tony’s lucky he didn’t have infections from the canister, there was rust on it and it’s very obviously not surgical grade material. I manage to get everything out, including the shrapnel and the TARDIS ran a double-check for me. It’s all out. I stitched up veins and arteries, made repairs so he won’t have as much to heal when he’s waking up.”

“I really have no clue what all they did to him while he was held captive, Doctor,” Jack said. He ran his hand through Tony’s hair. “He was dying when they took him, he remembers pain from the surgery, but not much else until he woke up and was connected to this old car battery. I wish I’d known he was missing, I’d have gone in and rescued him.”

“He’s a remarkably strong man, he held on far longer than I expected him to,” the Doctor said. “I’d appreciate you looking at the wound and seeing if you can estimate how long it’ll take before he wakes up.”

“Sure,” Jack said with a sigh. He stood and leaned over so he would be able to get a close look at the large hole in Tony’s chest. “How much damage was there to the heart?” he asked.

“Three pieces,” the Doctor said. “The heart will have to repair itself.”  
“Five hours is how it would take me,” Jack said. “Tony’s got this second hand, so it could easily be tomorrow before he wakes up. I’ve never been able to tell if he has the ability in equal amounts to me, or if it’s weaker with him.”

“Based on how brightly you both shine, Jack, I would say its equal amounts,” the Doctor said. “I need to go clean up, are you going to stay here?”

“Yeah, I want to be with him,” Jack said. “I think Barton will join us before too long, but if he’s more comfortable out in the hall, then I think we should just leave him be. It’s a lot to take in and he didn’t react well when he found out what’s going on in here.”

The Doctor nodded. “All right, I’ll be back soon. Make yourself at home, Jack.”  
**  
“Dr. Banner, I believe I may have found something of relevance to the current situation,” JARVIS said a few hours after Bruce had settled down at the computer. He’d left Steve in the gym and had the camera feed up on a monitor in his lab.

“What is it, JARVIS?”

“A newspaper article from the time when Captain Rogers was a child,” JARIVS said. He pulled the document up on the monitor Bruce was using. “A man down the street from his childhood apartment building was known as a conman in their neighborhood, but nothing could ever be proved. The man, however, was eventually arrested for immoral acts with minors.”

“He was gay or a pedophile?” Bruce asked.

“I do not know, I am attempting to locate record of a trial or some form of discipline, however, it is possible that this is why Captain Rogers is reacting so strongly to Captain Harkness and his long friendship with Tony.”

“JARVIS, how long have you been online?” Bruce asked. “I mean, you commented earlier that some stories weren’t okay for five-year-olds, but Tony couldn’t have built you that long ago.”  
“No, he did not. Mr. Stark completed my initial install and upload when he was appointed head of Stark industries and no longer had to hide his personal projects from those around him, unless he wanted to,” JARVIS said. “I have known Captain Harkness for over twenty years, however, and have always found him to be an outstanding man, and a gentleman, if something of a flirt. Mr. Stark has provided me with a great many files and stories over the years in an attempt to help me understand the human mind.”

“I’ll say this much, Tony’s showing no sign that Jack ever did anything unwanted to him,” Bruce said. “In fact, he’s more relaxed around Jack than I’ve seen him with anyone else, and that includes Pepper.”

“The good Captain has always been there for Mr. Stark,” JARVIS said. “Sir, if you wish to speak with Captain Rogers, he is leaving the gym and heading back for the main floor, where the TARDIS is.”

“Crap. Thanks, JARVIS. Keep at the searches for me, would you?”

“Of course, Sir.”

Bruce left his lab and hurried towards the common area. He didn’t know what was going on with Steve, but the man had been different since Captain Harkness arrived. There was something going on that they were all missing, and Bruce was starting to think that there was a fight brewing between Steve and, at the very least, Captain Harkness. “Hey Steve.”

“Bruce, hey, I thought you were in your lab working on something,” Steve said. “Have you seen Barton since he went into that box?”

“Nope, he’s still in there, I think. JARVIS?”

“Agent Barton is indeed still inside the TARDIS,” JARVIS replied. “She says that Mr. Stark is currently dead, however, everything looks promising and he should be back on his feet tomorrow morning at the latest. Did you need me to relay a message, Captain Rogers?”

“Yeah, could you tell Barton that I need to talk to him?” Steve asked.

“Of course, Sir.”

“Steve, what’s going on?” Bruce asked, sitting down in one of the chairs. “You’ve been off ever since Jack got here. Are you upset with yourself that you didn’t see how badly Tony’s been hurting?”

“No, but I should have noticed something,” Steve said. “He’s just too good at hiding things from people.” He looked over when the TARDIS door cracked open and the Doctor looked out. “Where’s Barton?”

“Ah yes, sorry, he’s on his way,” the Doctor said. “I was just wondering if any of you had heard from Director Fury on when he was planning to arrive. Jack told me he never received a reply.”

“He was unsure when he would be able to come, Sir,” JARVIS said. “Director Fury does enjoy making an entrance so I believe it is unlikely that we shall hear from him before he arrives, especially with Captain Harkness in residence.”

The Doctor grinned. “Jack does have that effect on people, doesn’t he? Ah, here we are. Agent Barton, safe and sound. Are you sure you want to do this? Tony did ask for you to be with him when he woke up.”

“Yeah, I’m sure,” Barton replied. “Tony’ll understand that the team needed me for something and I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“All right, if you’re sure,” the Doctor said.

Barton nodded and stepped out into the living room. “What’s up, Cap? You got something you need me to shoot?”

“We need to go up to the helicarrier,” Steve said.

“For what?” Bruce asked, sitting forward. “None of us have gotten a call, there’s no attack that we need to go fight. What’s going on with you, Steve?”  
Rather than answering, Steve reached over and took Barton’s arm. “Come on, we need to go see Director Fury,” he said.

Barton looked down at the large hand on his arm, up at Steve’s face, and back down at the hand. “I will give you one chance to let me go, Rogers,” he said softly. “Then you’re going down.”

“You can’t take me,” Steve said. He took a step forward and pulled.

“Yeah, you think?” Barton twisted and ducked at the same time, breaking the hold on his arm and getting back quickly to avoid any strike that might be coming towards him. “I’m not telling you again, no one touches me. Not unless they have my permission and hey, guess what, you don’t. Now do you want to tell me what the hell is going on here?”

“I think I know,” Bruce said. “This has to do with that guy down the street from you when you were a kid, doesn’t it, Steve?”

“What guy?” Barton asked. He flipped up on top of the TARDIS and patted her roof softly. “Sorry, but I need somewhere safe. Is this okay?”

The light on top of the box flashed at him. “She says she’s not a gym to be climbed on, Sir,” JARVIS repeated. “However, if you need to be safe, she will allow you to be there for a time. Captain Rogers, Sir, I would suggest you not try anything until Director Fury arrives. He is currently in the lift.”

“There was a man who lived down the road from Steve back when he was a kid who was arrested for immoral acts with kids. It’s possible he was a pedophile, but he might also have been gay. Or both, really,” Bruce said, answering Barton’s question. “I’m willing to bet that this has something to do with that, combined with a few beliefs from the time period.”

“Okay, someone want to tell me what the hell is going on here?” Fury demanded as he strode out of the elevator. “Why is there a police call box in Stark’s living room? Hell, who even has a police call box these days? Barton, get down from there now.”

“No, Sir,” Barton said. “Captain Rogers is acting weird and tried to drag me back to the helicarrier. I believe I’ll just stay right here until I’m sure he hasn’t been compromised in some way.”

Fury took a deep breath and looked around. “One of these days I swear I will find some way to make everything make sense,” he said to the room in general. “However, today is not that day, so someone had better tell me what the hell is going on before I get really mad and start shooting.”

Natasha turned around and walked back out of the room without a word. Bruce watched her go, wishing that he could follow, but he also didn’t want to leave Barton alone.

“I believe that Agent Barton needs to undergo a full psychological evaluation,” Steve said.

“You get points for saying that and still being alive there, Capsicle,” Barton growled from on top of the TARDIS. “I don’t suppose Dummy could bring me my bow, could he, JARVIS?”

“We are not currently allowing Dummy out of the lab, Sir,” JARVIS replied. “He has found where Mr. Stark hid the fire extinguisher and we have been unable to take it away from him.”

“Captain Rogers, there is no way that Agent Barton needs to undergo any sort of evaluation at this time,” Fury said. “He was checked over thoroughly after the events with Loki and cleared for duty with no problems noted down in his file. The three member team who evaluated him is on holiday at the moment, but we’ve learned to deal with that.”

“So I make ‘em cry when they see me coming,” Barton shrugged. “It’s hardly my fault that they can’t take it when a man jumps off a seventy floor building with nothing but a bow and arrow to break his fall. I practice and know what I’m doing. They don’t.”

“Which is why you’re banned from psych level unless you absolutely have to be there,” Fury pointed out. “Captain, you want to tell me why you think he needs to have an evaluation?”

“Agent Barton has stated that he’s in love with Tony Stark, Sir,” Steve said.

“Okay, I can see a few issues there, mainly that SHIELD will never be the same again, but if they love each other, why the hell not?” Fury asked. He paused for a minute. “Oh, shit.”

“Director?” Bruce asked.

“When we did all the classes trying to bring Captain Rogers up to speed, there were a couple we skipped because we didn’t think he’d be living off-base so soon,” Fury said. 

“You skipped the sexual awareness and harassment classes?” Barton demanded. “You made me sit through those three times.”

“You kept traumatizing the instructors with questions they couldn’t answer,” Fury said. “There are days when I wonder how hard you try to make trouble, Barton.”

Barton grinned. “I don’t try to make trouble, Sir. Trouble follows me around. It’s hardly my fault if the instructors are all repressed losers who haven’t had the experience I have.”

“Maybe you’d like to teach the class next time.”

“Sure,” Barton grinned. “How do you feel about practical demonstrations?”

Fury took a step back when the door to the blue box opened and a stranger poked his head out. “Agent Barton, what are you doing up there?” the young man demanded. “That is not a perch for you to sit on while you’re watching telly.” He looked around, seeming to notice the others in the room for the first time. “Oh, hello. I’m the Doctor. Would you be Director Fury?”

“I am.”

“Good, good. One moment, please.” The Doctor ducked back into the TARDIS and came back out carrying a box. “As long as you’re up there, make yourself useful and change the bulb for me. It’s past due.” He tossed the box up to Barton and then clapped his hands together. “Director Fury, it’s come to my attention that you are using alien tech to create weapons. Have you any idea how dangerous this is?”

“And why should you care?” Fury asked.

“I’m the Doctor.”

“So you said. I’m still wondering who you are.”

The Doctor sighed. “Do you have access to Torchwood’s files?” he asked. “Or do I need to get Jack up here to grant you access?”

“We’ve never been able to get into Torchwood’s files,” Fury replied.

“I see. Old girl, would you ask Jack to come out for a moment, please?” the Doctor asked. “I need his help. Yes, yes, I know he doesn’t want to leave Tony alone in there, but it will just be a brief moment. Thank you.”

“Who are you talking to?” Fury asked.

“My ship.” The Doctor patted the side of the box. “Last of her kind, a Type 40 TARDIS. Best ship in the universe. Ah, Jack, thank you. Director Fury doesn’t seem to know who I am and I was wondering if you might be able to give him access to Torchwood’s extensive file on me?”

“I don’t know if our severs are still running, Doc,” Jack said. “The 456 did a number on everything the government didn’t. Fury, I’ll tell you who this is. The Doctor is one of the oldest, wisest aliens in the universe. He is a Time Lord, the last of his kind, and he is the final word on matters alien here on Earth. Call UNIT if you don’t believe me. The Doctor has banned Torchwood and UNIT from creating weapons with alien technology because the Earth isn’t ready for that level of tech. I have a feeling that SHIELD is about to get added into the ban, but I don’t know if you’re the type to follow that lead, so let me tell you about this story. Remember Harriet Jones, the Prime Minister?”

“Yes,” Fury said.

“She ordered Torchwood to use a weapon built of alien tech,” Jack said. He put a hand on the Doctor’s shoulder. “The Doctor then destroyed her career with six words. He’s also the only reason that the invasion at Canary Wharf didn’t happen.”

The Doctor sighed. “Thank you, Jack,” he said softly. “How’s Tony?”

“About as good as we’d expected at this point,” Jack replied. “I need to get back. Anything else?”

“Yeah, I’m coming with you.” Barton jumped down and landed next to Jack. “Seems some of my team thinks I’m sick for liking men rather than women and I don’t want to listen to the crap they’re saying.”

Jack shook his head. “Quaint boxes,” he said. “Come on, you’re more than welcome to come with me.” He stepped to the side and let Barton into the TARDIS. “Captain Rogers, you need to realize that the ideas you grew up with have been altered and proven wrong. There is nothing wrong with same sex relationships. They are not sick and they are not deranged. If you need it put another way, I’ll talk with you once Tony’s back on his feet.”

“What’s wrong with Stark?” Fury demanded.

“Go ahead,” Jack said. He shut the door behind him.

The Doctor smiled. “Tony’s dead, but don’t worry, he’ll be up and around again in no time.”


	12. Chapter 12

“You want to run that by me again?” Fury asked.

“Tony’s immortal, Director, just like Jack,” Bruce replied. “He’s having some kind of operation done in the TARDIS, but we don’t know what it is, other than it killed him. Doctor?”

“I’m sorry, but that’s for Tony to reveal as he feels comfortable with,” the Doctor said. “Now then, Director Fury. Now that you know who I am, you need to stop using alien tech to build weapons. As Jack said, the Earth is not ready for such a high level of tech, and you risk far more than you shall gain from such a process.”

“He’s right, Director,” Natasha commented from the doorway. “Look how much we lost just in the battle here in New York. Those people didn’t need to die.”

Fury sighed. “We can talk about this, Doctor,” he said. “What’s your last name, anyway?”

“Just Doctor will do,” the Doctor said with a small smile. “Now then, Captain Rogers. What should we do to help you?”

“Help me? It’s not me who needs help, it’s Barton.”

“Agent Barton can love whoever he wants to,” the Doctor said. 

“Doctor, with all due respect, let me handle this,” Fury said. “Captain Rogers is one of my people and I let a few things drop through the cracks when we were bringing him up to speed on the current era.”

“As long as he doesn’t hurt anyone,” the Doctor said. He turned and went back into the TARDIS, shutting the door firmly behind him.

“That has to be one of the oddest discussions I’ve ever had,” Fury muttered, staring at the TARDIS. “He’s really an alien?”

“That’s what they tell us,” Bruce said. “Sir, rather than putting Steve through the strain of classes, would you let me talk with him for a bit? I think I can bring him up to speed as well as SHIELD’s classes could, without the possible problems that having Captain America in those classes would cause.”

“Thank you, Dr. Banner, that would be helpful,” Fury said. “Now then, I either want some answers or I want dinner, and I really don’t care which one I get at this point.”

“JARVIS, will you order takeout from the pizza place?” Bruce asked. “Get the usual for when Thor isn’t here.”

“Yes, Sir. Anything special you would like to add to the order, Director Fury?” JARVIS asked.

“No, that’s fine. Pizza sounds great.” He flopped down in one of the chairs. “Sit, Captain Rogers. It’s time to bring you up to speed on the current age.”  
**  
“What did you mean by ‘quaint boxes’?” Barton asked as he walked next to Jack.

“Humans and their little boxes to put people in,” Jack replied. “This one is heterosexual so he goes in this box.” He mimed picking something up and tucking it away. “This one is homosexual so he goes over here where no one will want to play with him and he can’t contaminate any of us. This one is, wait, this one likes both men and women? We don’t have a box for that, he’ll have to choose.”

Barton started laughing. “I never really thought about that,” he said. “I guess, being from the future, things are really different for you here on Earth. Why’d you stay?”

“It’s a long story. I came here to wait for the Doctor because I knew he’d have to show eventually and in a timeline I could enter without messing things up, but I overshot and ended up back in the 1800s,” Jack sighed. “I had to live on the slow path, one day at a time, until he showed up a few years ago and I was finally able to talk with him and get some answers. By then, I’d kinda fallen in love with the planet, and Ianto, and wanted to stay. I had Tony too, and he’s the reason I haven’t taken off again. I’ll stay with him as long as he needs me to.”  
“So, that does raise a question,” Barton said. He took a deep breath and walked into the medical bay. “Do you always sleep with him or do you have your own room?”

“It depends on how badly he needs me,” Jack said seriously. “If he had a partner though, I wouldn’t want to intrude. That partner would have to understand that there were some nights when Tony needed me in bed with him though.”

“You’re easy enough to look at,” Barton grinned. “I don’t see getting that far with Tony for years, so it’s cool with me.” He stopped suddenly when he caught sight of Tony lying on the table. “He really is dead.”

“Yeah, he is,” Jack said. He stepped up and ran his fingers through Tony’s hair. “He’s got a lot of damage to heal up and I’m not sure when he’s going to come back to us. It’s possible his body will heal everything and then he’ll come back. With the amount of damage he took, I don’t know that he can be alive with it unhealed.”

“I don’t want to see,” Barton admitted.

Jack nodded and peeked under the sheet, making sure to keep it over the wound. “It’s healing,” he said. “We just need to give it time. So, what do you think is going on with Captain Rogers?”

“Truthfully, I don’t know and don’t really care,” Barton said. He sat down next to Jack and leaned back in the chair. “I’ve never hidden who I am or who I like from anyone and if he has issues with it, thinks I’m morally wrong or a child molester, that’s his problem. Fury has a reason for me being on this team and he’s not going to pull me for his Golden Poster Child. Coulson would come back to haunt him.”

“Coulson?”

“My former handler with SHIELD, and probably my best male friend,” Barton said. “He was killed during the early stages of the battle with Loki and I was compromised and never got a chance to tell him good-bye or how much he means to me. I think I’ll regret that more than anything else I did while I was under Loki’s damn spell.”

“Father figure?”

“Yeah, along with quick reflexes and one hell of a right hook,” Barton grinned. “I guess what I’m saying is that Rogers can have his issues, that’s fine, it’s when he grew up and his belief system. I just don’t want him touching me and I don’t think that’s unreasonable.”

“It is unreasonable to expect you to be comfortable having those beliefs thrust onto you though,” Jack said. “Everyone is entitled to believe what they want, you’re right enough about that, but no one has any right to force those beliefs onto another. Besides, I remember the 1930s. Mental issues were only the tip of the ice berg.”

Barton grinned. “Everyone knows I’m crazy, Jack. Hell, you kinda have to be to work for SHIELD, it’s practically a job requirement,” he said. “I know I’m not sick, I’m not going to go out and accost little kids in the street for orgies, and I’m not wrong. Rogers wants to believe all of that without proof, that’s his problem.”

“It sounded like Fury wasn’t going to let this become a problem,” Jack commented.

“Yeah, well, Fury’s got some other delusions going on that we’ve all wondered about,” Barton said. “This is a big tower, it’ll be easy enough to avoid Rogers for a while.”

“If that’s how you want to play it, then I’m not going to argue,” Jack said. “I just hope that he listens with an open mind to what Fury is going to be telling him.”

“Me too,” Barton admitted.  
**  
“We’ve got about 70 years worth of research, politics, culture and events to bring you up to speed on, Steve, where do you want to start?” Bruce asked once the pizza boxes were spread out on the one remaining table in the living room. The TARDIS had parked on top of the other.

“Director Fury, you weren’t just talking about technology when you told me things had changed more than I was expecting them to, weren’t you?” Steve asked.

“Times change, Rogers, you know that,” Fury said. “It’s one reason we had you go through some of those classes, so you could see how much was different from before you went into the ice. To tell you the truth, this was something I didn’t even think would be a problem, and that’s my fault. I should have made sure you went through as many classes as you could so nothing would catch you off-guard.”

“I can’t help how I was raised,” Steve said.

“None of us can, but can you listen to what we’re going to be telling you with an open mind?” Bruce asked. “I’m not going to try and change your beliefs, I just want to give you some information that might help you slot events into your worldview.”

“You don’t think its wrong, do you, Bruce?” Steve asked.

“I don’t, no,” Bruce said. “It’s not for me, but I have no problem with same-sex relationships. One of the best women I ever worked with was a lesbian, and I would have missed so much if I’d turned away because of her sexual preference.”

Steve looked at him. “What does the Catholic Church say about it?”

“We could talk about just that for weeks,” Bruce said. “I’m not even sure what their official stance is on it, but I know they condemn same-sex relationships. I’m just not sure if they’re classified as sins or not. Guess you can tell that religion isn’t really my strong point, huh?”

“You can look it up on line and ask us any questions you may have,” Fury said. “Just stay away from the opinion pages and you should be fine.”  
“How has opinion changed so sharply on this?”

“Research has shown that a number of the beliefs in the past were wrong,” Bruce said. “It’s biological, something that happens when the baby is forming, not bad parenting. It’s just people in love, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing.”

“It’s not normal,” Steve said.

“What is normal?” Bruce asked. “You’re a super-soldier who spent 70 years frozen in ice and lived through it to wake up and fight an alien invasion lead by a God. I have the other guy, Tony’s got the arc reactor and his suits. I don’t think that normal should be any sort of measure for you to be using for anything, let alone trying to understand cultural mores.”

Fury snorted. “Hell, if you’re looking for normal, let me know when you find it. I could use a holiday,” he said. “I feel like I should point out you’re sitting in the living room with a police call box that’s an alien spaceship waiting for one of your friends to come back from the dead.” He paused. “Dr. Banner, do you ever say something and realize you never thought you’d say something like that?”

“All the time,” Bruce said. “I think I’m going to take Steve down to my lab and do some work on the computer. It’ll be better than me trying to talk through things when I don’t have all the facts. Come one, Steve, let’s go play.”

“All right, but I don’t see how you’re going to change my mind on this,” Steve said. “It’s how I was raised and what I believe.”

“I told you, not trying to change your beliefs, just trying to show you the other side so you have the full picture to think about before you make your final decision.”

“Fair enough,” Steve said.

“I’m going to stay here and enjoy this pizza,” Fury said. “Maybe the Doctor will come out and have another talk with me. JARVIS, think you could hook something up for me?”

“I will try, Sir,” JARVIS said.


	13. Chapter 13

Jack looked up when the Doctor walked into the medical bay. “What’s up?”

“You did not just almost do that,” Barton said.

“The Doctor can be very, how shall I put it, creative about curing people of bad habits,” Jack grinned. “He really doesn’t like being called ‘Doc’ either, so I try not to. Just an old habit.”

“I’ve been called worse,” the Doctor said. “I’ve matured, Jack, I’m over 1,000 years old now. Director Fury wants to talk to me again and I’m wondering how worried I need to be about that, Agent Barton.”

“Depends on what he wants to talk to you about,” Barton said. “Fury’s tough, but he is fair. I think he’ll listen to what you have to say and take it into consideration. I don’t know about his bosses though. They may be where the problem is.”

“Oh dear, so many problems,” the Doctor said, wringing his hands. “The Earth does not need to be advertising that its at a higher level of technology than it is. That just leads nasty aliens to come and visit.”

“Gives me something to shoot if they start acting up,” Barton grinned. “Jack, was that a groan?”

Jack was leaning over Tony’s still form. “I think it might have been. Barton, this is going to look horrible, but it’s just what happens. I can’t warn you about it because I don’t even know what’s coming. Every revival is different.”

“I’m ready, I guess,” Barton said. He took Tony’s hand in both of his and held on tightly. “Tell me if I’m in the way.”

“You’re fine,” the Doctor said. He checked the monitor. “The TARDIS is showing only 45% regrowth on tissue and bone, Jack, so we’re going to need to bandage him until he heals properly.”

“Got it.” Jack moved onto the table and straddled Tony’s hips, lifting the smaller man forward into a sitting position. “Ready when you are, Doctor.”

“Agent Barton, hold his arms up for me, please,” the Doctor said. “Jack, here’s the padding. Make sure it doesn’t get down into the wound. You know how nasty that can be.”

“Tell me about it,” Jack grimaced. He settled the padding against Tony’s chest carefully and shook his head. “It’s not going to work, Doctor. We put any pressure on this right now, it’s going to collapse back in on itself and hurt Tony more.”

“Then what can we do?” Barton asked.

“Jack?” Tony muttered. “Hurts.”

“I know it does, kiddo. I know it does. Doctor, can we knock him out again?” Jack asked. “Didn’t you used to have some sort of a tissue regenerator around this place?”

The Doctor took one of Tony’s arms gently and injected him with a sedative. “There, that will give us a little more time,” he said. “Back down on the table, Jack. Let’s have a look and see what Tony’s body has managed. Agent Barton, if you could move to the side, please?”

“Sure.” Barton moved several steps away from the table and crossed his arms over his chest. He really didn’t want to see Tony in such a state, but wasn’t about to leave either. “Anything I can do?”

“I’ll let you know,” the Doctor said. “Jack, his heart is still rebuilding itself, but the surrounding areas look good. I think that we’re going to have to give him some blood when he wakes up, and I don’t have any of that on hand.”

“That’s easy enough,” Barton grinned. “I know where I can get some. What type do we need?”

“A positive,” Jack said. “Can you get it?”

“Trust me, the vampires on the Helicarrier won’t know what hit them,” Barton grinned. “I’ll be back as fast as I can.”

“There goes a good man,” the Doctor said softly. “Jack, I didn’t want to mention while Agent Barton was in here, but I’m concerned about Tony’s lungs.”

Jack nodded. “Let me see,” he said. 

A hologram popped up over Tony on the table, focused in on his lungs. Jack studied it for a long moment and sighed softly. “They cut out parts of his lungs to make the arc reactor fit,” he said. “They should regrow, Doctor, but it won’t be today. That much repair will take days.”

“How do you know that, Jack?”

“Because I had a bomb planted in my stomach and it detonated,” Jack said. “Yet here I am. The man who can never die.”

“Never have I been so glad of that before,” the Doctor said. “Who did that to you, Jack?”

“Couple of idiots from the government,” Jack said. He didn’t look away from the hologram. “They wanted to level the Hub and they managed it. I only just managed to get Ianto out in time. The idiot was going to stay with me.”

“You aren’t going to tell me their names, are you, Jack?”

“Nope, because they’re both in the river with bullets in their brains,” Jack said. “I took care of the problem when I found out Ianto was dead. I never wanted him to see that side of me, Doctor. He knew that I had darkness within me, how could he not with all the mistakes I’ve made, but I never let him see me hurt someone else.”

The Doctor came around the table and wrapped himself around Jack in a hug. It was a little awkward because of how thin he was, but he managed. “You are such a special man, Jack Harkness,” he said softly. “I wish I could bring your Ianto back to you, I’d love to see you happy again, but I know. I know.”

“Yeah, I understand,” Jack said. He tilted the Doctor’s head back and kissed him softly. “I still love you, Doctor. That hasn’t changed, but I still can’t go with you. Not for good. Tony needs me too much.”

“I understand,” the Doctor said. “Though maybe you’ll join me for a short hop now and again? We’d love to have you.”

“Yeah, I think I’d like that,” Jack said. He kissed the Doctor again and looked back at the hologram. “I don’t think Tony realized he was operating with such limited lung capacity. This is probably one of the reasons there were so many stresses on his system. I blamed the arc reactor, thought it was just putting pressure where it shouldn’t, but if they removed parts of his lung, then that’s the cause, not the housing for the reactor.”

The Doctor nodded. “Tony told me the man who performed the operation, the one who created and perfected it, died,” he said. “It’s a shame, because I would really like to meet him. Find out how he knew so much about technology.”

“I’d like to thank him for saving Tony, but I don’t know who he was, where he lived, or even what his name is,” Jack sighed. “Tony won’t talk about him.”

“He might someday, and the TARDIS can always take us back,” the Doctor said. “Tony might even want to join us for that trip, even if he can’t talk to his friend.”

“Yeah, timelines,” Jack agreed. “Doctor, didn’t you need to go and talk with Fury?”

“I did, yes, but Tony’s health is far more important,” the Doctor said. He leaned against Jack. “Not to mention you’re very warm. I’d forgotten that about you, Jack. Still, there’s no point to allowing this weapons manufacture to continue longer than it has to. You’ll stay with Tony?”  
“Not moving until he does,” Jack grinned.

“Then I’ll be back when Agent Barton returns,” the Doctor said. He kissed Jack softly. “Call if you need me, Captain.”


	14. Chapter 14

Barton stopped for a minute just inside the TARDIS and took a deep breath. He wasn’t sure what he would do if Steve was still in the living room, but he knew he had to get through there quickly and get to the helicarrier for the blood Tony needed. Pulling the door open, he looked out. “Director Fury, Sir?”

“Agent Barton,” Fury said. “Pizza?”

“No, thank you though, Sir,” Barton said. He was a little thrown by how at home the director looked in the living room of Stark Tower. “Sir, did you come by plane or car?”

“Plane, Barton, why?”

“Could I borrow it, Sir? I need to get to the helicarrier quickly and back again even faster,” Barton said. “It’s Tony, Sir; he needs blood and we don’t have any stored here.”

Fury studied him for a long moment. “What’s Stark doing in there, Agent Barton?”

“He’ll tell you if he wants you to know, Sir,” Barton said.

“Aw, hell, go ahead,” Fury sighed. “You’ll just take the plane anyway. Go get what you need, I’ll call on ahead and let them know you’re to have whatever you need.”

“Thank you, Sir,” Barton said. He started towards the landing pad stairs, knowing that there was probably a pilot on-board waiting for Fury’s return.

“Agent Barton, I want you to know that we’re bringing Captain Rogers up to speed on the new era,” Fury called behind him.

“As long as he doesn’t touch me again, Sir, I don’t care,” Barton said. He shut the door behind him and trotted to the plane. “Andy, good to see you. You up for a flight?”

“You’re not flying, Clint,” Andy said. “You can sit there and behave yourself. I’ll get you home and back again as fast as we can go, but I’m not sitting through one of your flights.”

“You could just let me go and go have pizza with the Director,” Barton pointed out with a grin.

“In your dreams,” Andy said. He started preflight procedures. “You sit down and buckle up or we’re going nowhere.”

“You know what your problem is, Andy; you just don’t enjoy life enough,” Barton said. He clicked his final buckle in place and started up the protocols for the second seat.

“Says the man who jumps off buildings for a living.”

“Everything I do, I do with style,” Barton grinned. “Come on, we need to be back yesterday.”  
**  
Fury looked up again when the door to the TARDIS opened. “Doctor, pizza?”

“Thank you,” the Doctor said. He flopped into one of the free chairs and studied the boxes in front of him. “I haven’t had pizza in ages, I can’t recall the last time I did, oh, no, wait; it was when I helped to remove the Stargel pigs from the Tower of London. Oh, that was a messy business that was. I forgot to mention that shooting them was a mistake, that they exploded when frightened. The King wasn’t too happy with the state of the Tower when we were finished, but we got it cleaned up in the end. Is there a problem, Director Fury?”

“I’m just not sure what to make of you, Doctor,” Fury said. “They say you’re an alien, well, you look human to me.”

“No, no, you look Time Lord,” the Doctor said. “Still, one way to prove this, if only to set your mind at ease. JARVIS?”

“Yes, Sir?”

“Do you have some sort of scanning ability that could show the Director how many hearts I have?” the Doctor asked.

“Certainly, Sir. If you would stand next to your chair to allow my sensors to get a good read of you.”

The Doctor hopped up and spread his arms out to the side. A blue light flowed over him twice and then a hologram projection appeared next to him. “Thank you, JARVIS,” the Doctor said. “Here you are, Director Fury. Two hearts, respiratory bypass system, lower core body temperature. Alien.”

“Wonder how I could get Stark to sell us this tech,” Fury muttered as he looked over the hologram. “There’s so much that SHIELD would be able to do with it. Okay, I’ll buy you’re an alien, so how come I never heard of you before?”

“I tend to spend most of my time in London and the surrounding areas,” the Doctor said. “I’ve been there many times, have so many friends and fond memories of the area, along with contacts within both UNIT and, well, I suppose Torchwood is gone until Jack feels like trying to bring it back again. Shame, really. Established by Queen Victoria after she met me and we had an encounter with a werewolf. Long standing tradition, Torchwood. Shame to see it die out.”

“I’ve never had much to do with UNIT or Torchwood, beyond trying to obtain some information they had that I needed,” Fury said.

“Which I’m sure they greatly appreciated,” the Doctor said. “So, you’re building weapons from alien technology. How many things have blown up in your labs, or backfired on you so far?”

Fury sighed. “More than I’d like to admit,” he said. “But the aliens are out there and we need to be able to defend our planet against them. Not to mention all the people like the Avengers who are suddenly popping up. We have to be ready.”

“Part of the problem is that you are playing around with technology you cannot possibly begin to understand, hoping that your scientists will stumble over something you can use, turn into a weapon,” the Doctor said. “It’s possible that by doing so, by allowing them to poke around they have triggered a signal of some sort that has alerted the planet the technology originated on. Not everything that arrives on this planet is meant to be a weapon. Jack and I both could tell you stories about the alien junk that is sent. At the same time, however, there are also traps sent through. Traps that look pretty enough to make you want to play with them, and when you do, you either go boom or you let the people who created them know that you’re playing with them. Playing with them is the signal to show that you are ready to fight them. Develop your technology, Director Fury, but don’t look to anything that isn’t made here to create weapons. I won’t stand for it.”

“I’m still not sure how you think you’re going to stop me,” Fury said.

The Doctor smiled. “Director Fury,” he said, with a small shake of his head. “The question you want to ponder is, how are you going to stop me?”


	15. Chapter 15

Fury stared at the Doctor. Somehow the man, the alien, in front of him had gone from sending off peaceful vibes to sending off vibes that said, should he be crossed, something extremely violent would happen. "Just what do you mean by that, Doctor?" he asked.

"Just what I said, Director Fury," the Doctor replied. "I think that maybe your best option would be to talk with the people at UNIT and ask them exactly what they know about me. What they can tell you about how dangerous it is to cross me. This planet is under my protection and my reputation keeps most aliens from invading, but there are always those who think they can sneak in and get away with it. Now, I've never encountered the aliens that your team battled, but it's a big universe and I haven't been everywhere yet. New species develop all the time, it's impossible to know them all. Still, I've defeated worse than them in the past and I'll just have to make sure that the message gets out into the far reaches of the galaxy. Such a bother."

"Hey, Doctor?" Jack asked from the door to the TARDIS. "Where's the tissue regenerator? I think it will help."

"Fifth drawer along the second counter under the first ledge," the Doctor said.

"Got it, thanks," Jack said, not bothered by the strange directions. He'd learned a long time ago that if he got confused looking for something to just as the TARDIS. She just wouldn't answer him without the Doctor's permission for things in the medical bay.

The Doctor shook his head. "So many things piled up again, I should have stayed in retirement," he said. "Still, easy enough to get a message out. Just have to get in touch with a couple of friends, make a call here and there and you shouldn't have to worry about aliens for a while. If I come back and find out this magical council of yours has done something stupid again, however, I make no promises about what actions I'll take."

"What do you mean?"

"I heard about their solution to the alien threat, Director Fury," the Doctor said. "Blowing up innocent people is one way to get immediately on my bad side. You helped stop them, so I believe that you're a good man at heart. Confused by the layers of lies you live with every day, but ultimately a man who cares about his people and his planet. Ah, Agent Barton, that was fast."

Barton grinned and held up a cooler. "We've got some pretty fast jets," he said, "but it helps that our base is close by. Director, thank you."

"Stark's one of ours, even if he denies it," Fury said. "Doctor, I'm going to call UNIT and talk to them. You go see about keeping Tony Stark alive long enough for him to explain this all to me."

"Keeping him alive is not the problem," the Doctor said. He opened the door to the TARDIS and let Barton go in first. "Healing him is the problem. Ask JARVIS to call me if you want me to answer any other questions you might have." He shut the door behind him and sighed. "Humans and their wars. You lot give me a headache, Agent Barton."

"I'm all for peace," Barton said. "Long as it doesn't come at a high price. Hope this is enough blood for Tony. The medics gave me a hard time, even with Director Fury on my side."

"We'll make it work," the Doctor said. "Jack's helping Tony's body heal so there won't be as many, well, leaks in his system. Thank you for this, Agent Barton."

Jack looked up. "I think I found the problem in his heart, Doctor, look at this."

"Clots," the Doctor sighed. "No doubt caused by that metal casing that held the arc reactor. Tony here was a stroke waiting to happen. We'll need to clear those out, Jack, before the system closes up anymore."

"Ready when you are, Doctor," Jack said. "Clint, you might not want to be in here for this."

"He's still breathing, right?" Barton asked.

"Yeah."

"Then I'm staying," Barton said. He pulled a chair over against the wall by the door where he would be out of the way. "I've seen worse in the field. Just get him healthy for me, that's all I ask."

Jack nodded. "We'll do our best," he said.


	16. Chapter 16

"Okay, ow," Tony muttered.

"Welcome back, Tony," the Doctor said, leaning in. "You've been out for a couple of days now, how do you feel?"

"Like I was hit by the Hulk during a battle," Tony replied, blinking a few times, "without my armor on. Where's Jack?"

Jack appeared on the other side of the table. "Right here, kiddo, just like I promised I'd be. You're about eighty percent healed so we thought we'd let you wake up and see how you're feeling. How much do you remember about what we've been doing?"

"I asked you to take out the arc reactor for good," Tony said as the bed moved into a sitting position. "I think I woke up before I was healed though. Why was it taking so long?"

"You took a lot of damage when the casing for the reactor was implanted in your chest," the Doctor said. "Parts of your lungs were removed to allow for space and clots were forming in your heart. I removed everything related to your reactor the first time and then Jack and I worked together to clean out the clots and other small problems that formed from having a foreign object embedded in your chest."

"We thought the reactor was putting pressure on my lungs," Tony said. "That's why I was having so many stamina problems."

"Turns out they did a little more cutting than you thought," Jack said. "Your lungs will grow back now that you have the space for them again, but it'll take time. You're going to be weak for at least a month while you heal up totally."

"But it's out. No more worries about the arc reactor failing and my heart being shredded," Tony said.

Jack held up a mirror. "Take a look."

Tony took as deep a breath as he could and looked in the mirror. He'd had the arc reactor for so long, he'd forgotten what he looked like without it. "Where is the reactor?" he asked.

"Here," the Doctor said, holding up a plastic bucket. "Jack mentioned that you would need the pieces to work out something for your suit, so I didn't throw anything away. Not even the fragments I removed from your chest."

"Thank you," Tony said. "Seriously, thank you for everything. I thought I'd have to live like that forever. I would have been able to, but it scared me, deep down. Wait, where's Barton?"

"On a short assignment for the Director," Jack said. "Nothing dangerous, just a simple sniper job. He should be back tomorrow. He didn't want to go, Tony, but he was the only sniper who could take this shot, so he went."

"No, I understand. His work is important to him," Tony said. "It's fine, I'll talk with him when he gets back. Jack, you have that look in your eye that says that you're going to tell me something that could get the both of us into deep trouble."

"I was just thinking that we should keep the operation a secret from the general public," Jack said. "From your team too, unless you want all of them to know. Could you build a mini-reactor that's self-contained to wear under your shirts when you go out?"

Tony grinned. "That's a great idea, I hadn't even thought about that," he said. "I can totally build something like that when I'm working on the new power core for the suits. How did you come up with that one, Jack?"

"I was trying to avoid Captain Rogers," Jack admitted. "That's the last thing we need to bring you up to speed on. Turns out he's got problems with same sex relationships and tried to physically drag Barton out of here to go talk to a shrink."

"Oh, no way. What happened?"

"Agent Barton decided my TARDIS was a perch to sit upon," the Doctor said. "Still, he needed to be safe and couldn't get in here quickly enough. Director Fury says they are working to bring Captain Rogers up to speed on current relationship standards, but I haven't been out to hear how that's coming."

"So, can I walk?" Tony asked.

"With help, yes," the Doctor replied. "You've got thick bandaged around your chest as a precaution, but they should be able to come off in another day or so. Jack will be able to help you with that. Now, I've got some old friends to get in touch with, people to see, aliens to warn off the Earth, so I'll leave you both to it and pop back in later."

"Doctor, thank you again," Tony said as Jack helped him up. "This moment, this is what I've been dreaming of since I woke up in a nightmare. I don't know that I'll ever be able to thank you enough."

The Doctor hugged Tony carefully. "The best way you can repay me is helping to make sure those folks at SHIELD behave themselves and don't keep making weapons out of alien technology," he said. "The more eyes I have on that, the better. I'm worried that they'll activate something they shouldn't and the aliens that arrive will be far worse than anything you've seen before."

"Cybermen," Jack said softly.

"Exactly, Jack," the Doctor said. "I know you'll take short hops with me in the future, but for now, while you're helping Tony heal, keep an eye on SHIELD as well."

"I will." Jack kissed the Doctor softly. "Take care of yourself out there, Doctor. See you soon."

"Captain," the Doctor said. "Tony, it was an honor to meet you. Take care of each other, and tell Agent Barton I said good-bye, will you? He seems like a nice young man."

"He is," Tony said.


	17. Chapter 17

Tony and Jack stepped out of the TARDIS, which vanished with its usual rumble noise. "So, you and the Doctor?" Tony asked as he was lowered onto the sofa.

"We're working towards it," Jack replied softly. "Hey JARVIS, would you let everyone know that Tony's awake and back in the Tower?"

"Of course, Captain," JARVIS said. "Welcome back, Sir."

"Thanks, J," Tony said. "So, we've got some historical phobias to deal with. What's going on there?"

Jack sat down next to Tony. "You know how they felt about same sex relationships back in the day," he said. "I know you've read the reports after I told you about a couple of instances when I only just escaped from the police. I don't know what all is happening with Captain Rogers, but it sounds like he's a product of his time, just like you're a product of yours."

"We're bringing him up to speed on things, but it's slow going," Bruce said as he walked into the room. "You look good, Tony. JARVIS said you died in there, everything working again?"

"Yeah, everything's great, Bruce, thanks," Tony said. "Is there anything I can do to help with Steve?"

"I don't know, Tony." Bruce sat down in one of the chairs and leaned forward. "We've been reading through scientific studies, news stories, current events, and church bulletins and I can't tell if it's helping or causing more harm. I know that Barton's said he doesn't want Steve to touch him again, but I think that may just be more Barton than anything else."

"Let me talk with Steve for a bit," Tony said. "No, seriously, let me talk to him. I won't make fun, I've just got a question for him. One I want to see if he can answer and it won't cause any trouble. Then I want lunch and I want a nap. Pretty much in that order too."

"All right, he's in the gym," Bruce said. "He's been spending a lot of time with the punching bags again. I think it's how he thinks things over. He loses himself in the repetition and is able to focus on other things. JARVIS, would you ask him to join us up here when he has a chance to, please?"

"Of course, Sir," JARVIS said. "Sir, would you like me to order you your usual post-trip meal from the local diner?"

Tony moaned. "That would be awesome, JARVIS. Do that. In fact, order enough for Jack and anyone else who's hungry too," he said. 

"What are we ordering?" Jack asked.

"Best cheeseburgers and fries in the city," Tony replied with a grin. "Milkshakes to die for too."

"Sounds awesome, I'm in," Jack said. "Dr. Banner?"

"Living here is killing my diet," Bruce muttered. "Why not, we've got Tony back from his mystery procedure. Let's celebrate in style."

JARVIS sounded amused. "Very good, Sirs."  
***

"Steve, there you are, come join the party," Tony called when he caught sight of the other man in the doorway to the common area. "Seriously, we ordered you dinner. Come on before it gets cold."

"JARVIS said you wanted to talk to me?" Steve asked. He picked up the bag that Bruce was holding out and sat down in his usual chair. "What were you doing in that box anyway?"

Tony sighed. "It's not a box, it's a ship, and it's a glorious ship," he said. "She is so beautiful and her lines, oh, I could talk about them forever, but that's not the point right now. The point is, I have one question for you, Steve and I want an honest answer. Take all the time you want to think about it."

"What's the question?"

"What is love?" Tony asked seriously.

"Love?"

"Yeah, love," Tony said. "I don't want quotes or what poets have said about it. What does love mean to you, Steven Rogers?"

Jack realized what Tony was doing and rubbed his back. Tony glanced over at Jack and smiled. "We could all answer," Jack said. "Just so we're not putting Captain Rogers on the spot."

"That's not a bad idea," Bruce said, picking up on the intent behind the question. "Is that okay with you, Steve?"

"It'll give me time to think about everything love means to me and how to put it into words," Steve said. "Sure."

"I'll go first," Jack said. "Love is fresh made coffee, clear blue that you never see in water, insanity, and a sonic screwdriver."

Tony cocked an eyebrow at the last one. "A sonic screwdriver," he said. "Seriously, who the hell has a sonic screwdriver? Why would anyone have a sonic screwdriver?"

"I asked the same question when I first found out, but it really is handy," Jack said. 

"I don't think I want to know what you're talking about," Steve commented.

"Those are all things that love means to me," Jack said. "Because each of them reminds me of someone I've loved and has loved me in return. Love is different to everyone, Captain Rogers, and that's what it is to me. Dr. Banner, do you want to go next?"

"Sure," Bruce said. "Love is fresh air, clean water, peace to think and not have to be running constantly. It's brown hair and sparkling brown eyes that were never afraid no matter what happened. It's home."

"We'll find her for you, Bruce," Tony said softly.

"I know."

"Okay, my turn. Love is warmth," Tony said. "It's the hum of technology and strength beside me when I'm feeling lost. Love also happens to be good food."

"I'll second that one," Bruce smiled.

"You all are listing things that are things," Steve said. "I'm not trying to minimize anything you guys are feeling, but do you really think that's love?"

Bruce looked at him seriously. "Love is different to every person, Steve," he said. "So what love is to us, how we chose to feel love and give love is going to be completely different from you. I will say this much though, love is safety."

"Yeah, I'll second that one," Tony said softly.

"I'll third it," Jack said.

"I'll fourth it." Barton appeared on the arm of the sofa next to Tony. "What are we talking about?"

"Love," Tony said. "Welcome back, Legolas. Good mission?"

"Had to use a mirror to make my shot," Barton said. He reached into the bag next to Tony and pulled out a burger. "So, love, huh? That's not an easy one for me to answer, am I the only one who hasn't gone?"

"I haven't," Steve said. "I'm still thinking about it."

Barton nodded. "Well, love is summer," he said. "The scratch of a pen over paper and a completely bland smile. Knowing someone cares enough to be there when you wake up in medical after a mission goes bad."

"We miss him too," Tony said.

"Him?" Jack asked.

"A good friend we lost during the battle," Tony said. "He was Barton's handler and best friend."

"Sorry for your loss, Clint," Jack said.

"Thanks."

"You guys all make this seem so easy," Steve said. "I don't know that I can just put it into words like this."

"Then think about it, Cap. We don't have to have an answer today," Tony said. "Just ask yourself this question too; everyone feels love differently, so how can it be a bad thing to be in love?"


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be a sequel to this where Tony and Barton get to see a few new planets with the Doctor and Jack. Thanks everyone for reading. :)

"I wonder if I was able to reach him," Tony said later on that night, once he, Jack and Barton were up on his floor. "I mean, Cap's a kid who had a lot thrown at him and, yeah, he's strong enough to take it, but at the same time imagine that much changing on you overnight. He's got people telling him that the beliefs he grew up with are totally wrong and he should change his mind."

"I think it's less change his mind than ease up on Clint and you," Jack said. "I agree a person is entitled to their beliefs, but projecting those beliefs onto another is where I draw the line."

Barton flopped onto the bed and bounced a few times. "How come we don't have beds this nice on our floors, Tony?" he asked.

"Says the man who nests in vent shafts whenever he has the chance," Tony replied. "If you're going to mess up my bed, at least move over so I can join you."

"I'm all for that, but Tony needs to rest," Jack said. "Clint, you look like something is bugging you."

"It's just that I feel like I should be mad at Steve for what he said about me," Barton said. "But I'm not mad at him. I'm furious that he works with me, has lived in the same Tower as me for months and thinks that I go out an molest children in my spare time, but that's only a part of him. I was close by when he woke up, you know. Coulson was sitting with him constantly and Fury wanted another pair of eyes on the whole operation, so he asked me to lurk in the vents. Steve was so scared and lost when he woke up, he looked like a kid in a nightmare. I stand by what I say, he doesn't talk about this crap again or touch me, I'm willing to forget the rest of it, but I'm not hiding who I am or who I want to sleep with."

Tony nodded. "I think if we don't push it in his face it'll help," he said. "I mean, realistically, we're going to all end up in close quarters. We're a team of guys and none of us want to get up close and personal with Natasha. We're going to be almost sitting on each other part of the time. I don't know how Cap will take it, but I don't think making the problem worse or flaunting it at him will help anything."

"I think Fury would be surprised to hear you say that, Tony," Barton said. "He thinks you like to cause trouble."

"Oh, I do, but that's just around him," Tony grinned. "Jack, these dressings itch. Can we maybe change them for something else or leave them off for the night?"

"Yeah, let me take a look, kiddo," Jack said. He sat down next to Tony's hip and started to unwrap the bandages that were around Tony's chest. "You're going to have to remember to wear layers or tell your team what you've done."

Barton's breath caught when Tony's chest was exposed. "You healed up so fast," he said, reaching out and just stopping before he touched bare skin.

"It's okay," Tony said. "Clint, Jack told me that you have feelings for me. I've been so scared and hiding for so long, I don't know if I'm able to feel love for anyone ever again, but if you can be patient with me, I'd like to try."

"Yeah, I'd like that," Barton smiled. "I'm even game to having Jack in the bed some nights if you need him. Tony, none of us here are normal. We can't pretend to be, and if you need the man you trust more than anyone else in the world to hold you at night, then let him hold you. I know you don't have a sexual relationship and I'm not suggesting starting one."

"You'd be okay with a stranger in bed with you?" Tony asked. "Jack, how do I look?"

"Your skin has healed up so you don't need the bandages anymore," Jack replied. "I'm not kidding about the month to let your lungs regrow, Tony. You have to take it easy whenever you're not in the suit or you're going to hurt yourself again."

Tony nodded. "Yeah, okay, I can do that," he said. "Barton?"

"Jack's not going anywhere any time soon, is he?"

"Not that I know of," Tony said.

"Not planning on it," Jack said. "Tony's going to need me here for a while yet. Once things have settled down a little though, I am going to take short trips with the Doctor again. I'm not going to abandon you, Tony, I'm not going to abandon this planet, but I want to be able to spend time with him too."

"Think he'd take us too?" Barton asked. "Oh, come on, Tony; don't you think it'd be fun to see some other planets?"

"I've had enough aliens for a while, but maybe some time in the future, yeah," Tony said.

"If I may interrupt, Sir," JARVIS said. "Captain Rogers wishes to speak with you."

Jack looked over. "Want a shirt?" he asked.

"Nah, I'm cool with the team knowing," Tony replied. "Let him in, J."

Steve walked in and paused, although they weren't sure if it was the sight of three men in and on Tony's bed or the lack of the arc reactor that stopped him. Tony sighed. "It's gone, Cap," he said. "For good. It's also a secret, so no telling anyone, okay?"

"That's what you were doing in there?" Steve asked. "Tony, you could have died."

"I did, but I'm fine now," Tony said with a grin. "What's up, Cap?"

"I wanted to let you know my answer on what love is, Tony," Steve said. "Love is family. I don't think I'll ever be okay with the idea of same sex couples, it's not right, but you and Barton are both important to this team. I can overlook it as long as I don't have to see things like this."

"Be fair, Captain Rogers, you are in his bedroom," Jack pointed out.

"I am and it's his space and I'm going to respect that," Steve said. "I ask that you all do the same for me."

Barton sighed. "Cap, I'll be honest with you, since you're being so honest with us," he said. "I'll respect the boundaries of the common room. Hell, I would have anyway because who I date is my business, but it's gonna take some time for me to get past what you were accusing me of. You've led this team since the battle, worked side by side with me through clean-up and any number of missions. I thought you knew and trusted me, but as soon as you found out I'd rather sleep with a man than a woman, you said that I was sick and tried to drag me up to psych to fix me. Yeah, some gay men are child molesters and perverts, but so are some straight men."

"That's fair," Steve said. "I made a mistake and acted blindly and take full responsibility for my actions and the fallout."

"Steve, we're not trying to make you change who you are," Tony said. "Then you wouldn't be our Capsicle, but I gotta tell you that there are probably going to be problems in the future. I'm just letting you know."

"That's a point," Barton said. "I'd talk to Fury about the official line on your stance on same sex relationships just so we don't have a press fallout. You're our icon, Cap, and none of us want to lose you."

"Thank you," Steve said. "I'll see you all tomorrow. Captain Harkness, maybe we can talk about the War a little?"

"Sure," Jack smiled. He looked back at the others when they were alone. "There's a man who is trying to make things right. I hope Fury isn't too hard on him."

"I'll talk to him," Tony said. "I should probably let him know about what's happened to me. Now, I need to sleep so I can start engineering a couple of mini-reactors for the suit tomorrow and a fake one to wear in public. Barton, as much as I'd like to have you stay, do you mind?"

"Nope." Barton hopped up and headed out of the room. "We'll work on this at your pace, Tony. See you both tomorrow."

"You have a good group of people here, kiddo," Jack said.

"Yeah, I really do, don't I?" Tony grinned.


End file.
